Bulls emerge in double-OT battle that thrills fans at the UC

With all that's been going wrong in this country, maybe the best thing for America right now was the Bulls pulling out a double-overtime thriller on Sunday at the United Center.

Nothing that happens on the basketball court will fix the economy or prevent the spread of swine flu, but the Bulls and Boston Celtics are doing their part to provide some excellent entertainment.

The twists and turns in Sunday's Game 4 were as unrelenting as bad news in the business section. Rookie Derrick Rose scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to put the Bulls in position to win, then Boston's Ray Allen took it back with a game-tying 3-pointer with 9.8 seconds left.

The Celtics shot their way to a 5-point lead in overtime, but then it was Ben Gordon's turn to knot the score with an improbable clutch 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds on the clock.

Finally, the Bulls kept the lead throughout the second overtime and sealed an exhausting 121-118 victory when John Salmons blocked Paul Pierce's attempt to toss in a third tying 3-pointer.

"By far the most exciting game I've played in," Salmons said. "Our fans were great. It was loud. Even when we were down, they kept us going."

The Bulls and Celtics have played four games in the past eight days. Two of the contests went to overtime and a third was decided on an Allen 3-pointer with two seconds left.

So no matter which team you're rooting for, it's nice to know this drama-laden series is tied 2-2 heading back to Boston for Tuesday's Game 5.

"I'm tired, but there's no better feeling than this right now," Bulls center Joakim Noah said inside the relative calm of the locker room. "Coming in here and knowing you gave everything you've possibly got and winning the basketball game."

A good place to pick up the action is with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, when the Bulls trailed 90-87. Both Gordon and Rose scored on drives to put the Bulls ahead. After an exchange of free throws, Gordon's running bank shot gave the home team a 95-93 lead with 31.2 seconds left.

Boston's Glen Davis missed a layup on the other end, Tyrus Thomas got the rebound and was fouled, but hit just 1 of 2 free throws, keeping the lead at 3. The 290-pound Davis made up for his miss by managing to screen both Noah and Rose at the same time, giving Allen room to drill the tying 3-pointer. Rose missed a baseline fadeaway as the fourth quarter ended.

"Those flare screens are a nightmare," Noah said. "Those are crazy, because you know they're coming, but he's so wide."

After falling behind by 5 points in the first overtime, both Kirk Hinrich and Gordon missed chances to tie the game at the foul line. Hinrich couldn't take advantage of a clear-path foul on Brian Scalabrine with 26.6 seconds left. Gordon fell flat on his back on a drive to the basket, then missed the first of 2 free throws with 9.8 seconds remaining.

"I was kind of dazed for a little while," Gordon said. "I was just trying to remember where I was at on that first free throw."

Eventually Gordon remembered that clutch shots are his calling card. After a pair of Boston free throws, Gordon juked Pierce to create some space and drilled a 3-pointer to tie the score again.

"In the two months I've been here, he's hit some of the most unbelievable shots I've seen in my whole career," teammate Brad Miller said of Gordon.

In the second overtime, Boston didn't score until a Davis dunk with 1:44 left. Noah threw down a slam and later added a free throw to give the Bulls a 117-112 lead with 35 seconds remaining. Pierce scored on a 3-point play and hit a 3-point shot, both off offensive rebounds, to make it 119-118 with 19.2 seconds left.

After Salmons hit 2 free throws for the Bulls, he got a piece of Pierce's final 3-point attempt and everyone in the building seemed surprised that the game was actually over.

"I liked the way we kept fighting," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "It looked bleak there. We had a lead, then they did. It was just a great basketball game."

<p class="factboxheadblack">Mike McGraw's game tracker</p> <p class="News"><b>Two clutch threes:</b> The Bulls could have been demoralized when Ray Allen hit a 3-pointer to tie the game with 9.8 seconds left in regulation. But Ben Gordon hit a tying 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left in the first OT, and the Bulls went on to win 121-118 in 2OT.</p> <p class="News"><b>Rose blooms late:</b> Rookie Derrick Rose shook off a rough day in Game 3 by scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter and putting the Bulls in position to win - at least until that late Allen 3-pointer.</p> <p class="News"><b>Salmons stays with it:</b> Forward John Salmons hit just 2 of 10 shots in regulation, but came up huge in the overtimes. He buried a 3-pointer after the Bulls fell behind by 5 in the first OT, nailed 4 straight free throws in the final 30 seconds of the second OT, then blocked Paul Pierce's last-gasp 3-pointer to clinch the win.</p> <p class="News"><b>Must-see TV:</b> One of the most entertaining first-round playoff series in recent memory continues with Game 5 in Boston on Tuesday. The Bulls will be back at the UC for Game 6 on Thursday.</p> <div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=289315">Gimpy Gordon connects in the clutch <span class="date">[4/26/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=289314">Salmons soars into hero's role <span class="date">[4/26/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=289317">Celtics rue what might have been <span class="date">[4/26/09]</span></a></li> </ul> <h2>Photo Galleries</h2> <ul class="gallery"> <li><a href="/story/?id=289290">Bulls vs. Celtics Game 4 photo gallery </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>