Only in Boston would Brian Scalabrine get a standing ovation

At a jaded 27 years old, it takes a lot to surprise me these days. However, I was at the Celtics-Bulls game last night at the TD Garden and I have to say that I was shocked at what I heard from the Massholes around me.

Former Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau was back in town for the first time as Chicago's head coach. Along with him was former Celtics joker Brian Scalabrine. Naturally, when they were both introduced on the HD scoreboard with tribute videos, Thibodeau didn't get much of a reaction (even though he deserved it, since he was the defensive mastermind of the last couple seasons) while Scal (one of the most useless players in the NBA, albeit a funny, self-aware one) received a standing ovation.

Yikes. I guess all you can say is the the pink hats that have taken over Red Sox games at Fenway Park, have found their way to the Garden when the weather gets cold. I don't think it was about being ironic too, no, no, people genuinely thought Scal deserved the applause. Is this real life?

Anyways, it was a hell of a game as the Celts (5-1) won 110-105 in overtime.

Much like the Hawks, the Bulls (2-3) are one of those teams that for whatever reason, matches up well with the C's. Surprisingly, it wasn't even all about Derrick Rose (18 points, 9 assists) although he had his highlights. Joakim Noah had a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds. Luol Deng added 20 points and six rebounds while Taj Gibson notched 18 points and seven rebounds.

Ray Allen led Boston with 25 points, including a rare dunk in OT. Kevin Garnett added 16 points and 10 rebounds, Jermaine O'Neal scored 12 points, Rajon Rondo had 10 points and 11 assists while Paul Pierce was off all night with 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

The bench was the story though for the C's as Glen Davis (15 points), Marquis Daniels (13 points) and Nate Robinson (7 points) outscored Chicago's bench 37-19.

The Bulls led 23-19 after an ugly first quarter but the Celtics exploded in the second quarter (30-15) for a 49-38 lead. Boston increased their lead up to 16 in the third quarter before the inevitable Bulls run (26-23 Chicago third quarter). It seemed like Chicago couldn't miss in the fourth quarter (32-24) and as a result, it went to overtime. The Bulls actually had the ball on the last possession with a chance to win it but Rondo knocked it away from Rose.

Boston goes to Oklahoma City tomorrow night, the tough start of a four-game road trip.

Life without KG and Sheed is not fun

Pick an excuse: the Celts played the Bulls last night without Kevin Garnett or Rasheed Wallace and it was the sixth game in nine nights for Boston.

Whatever the reason, the Bulls (who had been blown out in their previous two meetings this season) looked like the team that gave the Celtics so much trouble in the first round of the playoffs last spring as they won 96-83 at the TD Garden.

Luol Deng scored a game-high 25 points, Derrick Rose added 17 points and eight rebounds while the world's ugliest man Joakim Noah posted 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.

Rookie Taj Gibson played well for Chicago (17-20) notching 14 points and six rebounds and Kirk Hinrich scored 11.

Boston (27-11) got a very quiet 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists from Paul Pierce and 14 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks by Kendrick Perkins but nobody else (save for 11 points by Eddie House off the bench) bothered to show up for an obviously tired C's team.

The Bulls are certainly not as good as the Hawks but they fit the young, athletic team mold that is so clearly Boston's kryptonite.

Chicago jumped out to a 29-18 lead after the first quarter and 47-39 at the half and the C's could never really make a definitive run in the second half. Boston outscored Chicago 24-23 in the third quarter but the Bulls closed with a 26-20 fourth.

Missing 13 free throws (15 for 28) especially for a veteran team that normally shoots so well is inexcusable for the C's. Predictably the Bulls owned them on the glass (50-39) and had five more blocks (10-5).

Thankfully the Celts have a few days to relax at home as they prepare for the Mavericks, the second best team in the Western Conference (still frauds), who come to the Garden on Monday night.

Never leave the House

It took seven excruciating games but the Boston Celtics finally subdued the Chicago Bulls last night at the Garden, 109-99, to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

After a classic series, Game 7 probably won't be remembered for much more than the final result. The Celtics' much-maligned bench finally showed up, outscoring Chicago's bench 30-25.

Eddie House had by far his best game of the playoffs so far. House was 5-for-5 on 3-pointers and 4-for-4 from the line for 16 points with three steals, two assists and two rebounds.

Brian Scalabrine helped Boston's key 22-2 run in the second quarter that gave the C's the lead for the rest of the game. Scal had eight points in the game and three boards. Even Mikki Moore made a quick appearance and scored four points.

Ben Gordon led the Bulls with a game-high 33 points but he was 7-for-23 from the floor and 15-for-15 from the line. Derrick Rose added 18 points, Kirk Hinrich had 16 points and John Salmons notched 12 points.

Other than the solid bench play, another reason the Celts prevailed was because they kept the Bulls' big men in check. Joakim Noah had seven points and 15 rebounds and Brad Miller was held to nine points and seven boards.

None of the Celtics' starting five went off but they each did something well. Ray Allen led Boston with 23 points and seven rebounds. Paul Pierce added 20 points and nine rebounds. Glen Davis posted 15 points and Kendrick Perkins added another double-double: 14 points, 13 rebounds. Rajon Rondo's worst game of the series was probably game 7: seven points, 11 assists, five rebounds but it didn't matter.

Chicago got off to a hot start as they led 28-23 after the first quarter. Boston used its best quarter of the series to take command. They outscored the Bulls 29-11 in the second. True to form over the last two weeks, the Bulls fought back in the third (33-26) but Boston (31-27) did enough in the fourth to hang on.

The C's shot 44.9% to 39.0% for the Bulls. Boston was 52.9% on threes and Chicago was 29.2%. Boston had five more rebounds (45-40) and eight more assists (25-17).

There will be no time to rest for Boston as they face Orlando, starting tomorrow night at the Garden. It is not going to be easy but I really don't fear the Magic. Dwight Howard is a beast but they're a finesse team and they haven't done much in the playoffs the last few seasons. Should be another interesting series.

Triple OT? Sure. Game 7? Why not?

Before Game 6 had even tipped off last night of the Chicago Bulls vs. the Boston Celtics, many were already saying that this was the best first round playoff series of all-time. All the teams proceeded to do was go to triple overtime at the United Center in the best game of a now epic series.

Chicago won 128-127 and forced a Game 7, winner take-all bloodbath tomorrow night in Boston (where the green beer will be flowing like St. Patrick's Day).

The Bulls as per usual for the last few weeks, refused to go down as they erased a eight-point deficit late in regulation. Boston stubbornly hung around too as Ray Allen (career playoff-high 51 points) went crazy, tying it in the second OT on a ridiculous 3-pointer but not enough of his teammates stayed in the game (three fouled out).

Did anyone outside of Philadelphia, his entourage (I'm assuming he has one) and family know that John Salmons had this much game? He played a game-high 60 (out of 63) possible minutes and scored a team-high 35 points with six boards and four assists. Derrick Rose was also great with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

The biggest individual surprise of the six games has been Brad Miller. The washed up center notched 23 points and 10 rebounds last night. Ben Gordon was held to 12 points before fouling out, Kirk Hinrich added 11 points and seven assists while Joakim Noah went for nine points and 15 rebounds.

Noah also had the play of the game that will be replayed for all eternity (provided the Bulls win tomorrow night). He stole the ball from Paul Pierce at midcourt in the second overtime, dribbled in and threw down a vicious dunk while being fouled. His free throw put Chicago up by three and Pierce was done with his sixth foul. It pains me to admit it but Noah is a very solid NBA player.

The trio that fouled out all played well for the C's: Glen Davis scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Pierce notched 22 points and nine boards. Kendrick Perkins had another double-double with 12 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks.

Rajon Rondo had a terrible scoring night (8 points), but he tied Bob Cousy's team playoff record of 19 assists and threw in nine rebounds.

When Brian Scalabrine (7 points) is your most effective bench player in a playoff game, you're completely fucked. Once again, Chicago's bench outscored Boston by a huge margin: 35-11.

The Celts have a better starting five but if any of them are ineffective or in foul trouble, the Bulls depth really starts to show up as they can make up for bad nights from their stars (Rose, Gordon).

Chicago jumped out to a 37-26 lead after the first quarter but the Celts cut it to two (59-57) at the half. The Bulls took the third quarter (24-19) but the C's did what they had to do in the fourth (25-18).

For the game, Chicago shot 49.5% to Boston's 43.4%. The Celts made two more threes (11-9) and three more free throws (24-21).

At this point, what can you possibly expect in Game 7? All signs point to another classic game in a once-in-a-lifetime series. Hopefully the home-court advantage of the Garden will be just enough for Boston to come out on top.

Orlando beat Philadelphia last night to advance to the second round where they'll face the winner of this series.

NBA Playoffs: Where punching Brad Miller in the face happens

In the all-important Game 5 last night at the Garden, the Celtics survived 106-104 to take a 3-2 series lead into Game 6 tomorrow night in Chicago.

Paul Pierce did what he do (as the rappers say), scoring 26 points and grabbing seven boards. He scored six huge points down the stretch in the fourth, including the tying bucket with 10 seconds left. He also had the clinching shot with three seconds left in overtime. Rajon Rondo continued his MVP play: 28 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. Big Baby added 21 points and six boards.

The most unexpected huge contribution was from Kendrick Perkins who almost had a triple-double: 16 points, 19 rebounds and seven blocks. As cliche as it sounds, every point mattered since Ray Allen (10 points) fouled out in the fourth quarter and the C's bench continued to be non-existent.

Ben Gordon led the uber-resilient Bulls with 26 points. Kirk Hinrich scored 19 and John Salmons tossed in 17 points. Derrick Rose had 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The pug-ugly Joakim Noah had a double-double: 11 points and 17 rebounds while Tyrus Thomas managed 12 points and eight rebounds.

It looked like Chicago was going to send it to a second overtime when the seas parted on an inbounds play and Brad Miller had a clear path to the basket. Luckily for Boston, Miller is incredibly slow and also Rondo managed to punch the side of his face.

After receiving treatment for a bleeding mouth, a wobbly Miller bricked the first free throw and then intentionally missed the second (although he didn't hit the rim). Game over. A cheap way to win but the Celts will take them any way they come in this intense series.

Boston shot 48.8% to 40.0% for the Bulls. Chicago made 11 more free throws (27-16) and had six more rebounds (50-44). The C's had six more assists (24-18).

This is not fun

This is the roller coaster of life in the NBA playoffs without KG and Leon Powe. The Bulls won 121-118 in double overtime yesterday afternoon at the United Center in Game 4, evening the series at two games apiece.

At various points, this was a game Boston should have lost, then won and finally lost again. Ray Allen (28 points) hit another clutchtastic 3-pointer to tie it late in regulation and send the game to overtime. Up three late in the first overtime, Ben Gordon (22 points, 6 rebounds) broke free and tied it with a three of his own. The C's had a chance to win it when Rajon Rondo (25 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) had a jumper but it predictably missed and the Bulls simply made more shots to outlast Boston in the second OT.

Paul Pierce scored a game-high 29 points and grabbed seven rebounds but he had six turnovers. Kendrick Perkins was effective with 15 points and nine boards but he also committed six turnovers and fouled out in overtime, leaving Boston with few big available big men. Big Baby had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds but he shot 4-of-16 from the floor.

This game was about the Bulls' heart and refusal to lose. They're a young team that makes a lot of mistakes but with Gordon and Derrick Rose (23 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 7 turnovers), they almost always have a chance to win.

John Salmons scored 20 points for Chicago, Tyrus Thomas added 14 points and 10 rebounds while Joakim Noah notched 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Most importantly, Kirk Hinrich came off the bench to score 18 points and Brad Miller tossed in 12 points before fouling out. Boston does not have the depth or options that Chicago possesses.

Game 5 is tomorrow night at the Garden and Game 6 is Thursday back in the land of big shoulders. Any doubts this is going seven?

And thus ends one of the best days in recent memory

I'll be honest. After living at home for roughly two and a half years, there's been many times that I've been on the verge of losing my mind. I would like to move out before age 40 but a combination of low-paying jobs and a great situation with my parents makes it hard to leave the nest. Besides their support, one thing more than any other reason has kept me happy and sane for the past few years: the dominance of Boston sports teams.

I know when I'm old, I'll be telling my kids, grandkids and other random people at the bingo hall about this special time. It is ridiculous. And yesterday was a perfect example as the Sox swept the Orioles, the Bruins went up 3-0 on Montreal and the defending champion Celtics won a thrilling 118-115 game to even their series with the Bulls, 1-1.

It was an unbelievable game featuring some ridiculous individual performances: Ben Gordon scored a game-high 42 points for the Bulls. Rajon Rondo rolled his ankle and still had a triple-double: 19 points, 16 assists, 12 rebounds and five steals. Ray Allen came back from the dead (2 points in the first half after 4 points in Game 1) to finish with 30 points, including the two biggest hoops of the game (two 3-pointers; one with 20 seconds left that put Boston up 1 and then the clincher with two seconds left). Finally, Glen Davis looked like Kevin Garnett (haha, for one night) as he hit jumpers from all over the place, en route to a career-high 26 points and nine rebounds.

In such a wide-open, offensive game, Chicago had other notable stat lines. John Salmons added 17 points. Brad Miller had 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Joakim Noah notched 13 points, eight rebounds and four blocks and Derrick Rose was held to 10 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Boston featured 18 points and eight boards from the Captain, Paul Pierce. The Bulls blocked a team-record 14 shots but Celts center Kendrick Perkins did a great job using his bulk inside over the slimmer, athletic Bulls. Perk had 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Chicago made nine more free throws (26-17) but Boston owned the glass (50-36; including a 21-8 advantage on offensive boards).

These first two games have been classics so who knows what to expect as the series moves to Chicago starting Thursday night.

Derrick Rose's pube moustache will kill us all

When the news came out on Thursday that Kevin Garnett would most likely be out for the playoffs, Celtics fans were understandably bummed. Boston delivered a title last season so we can't feel shortchanged but going into the postseason at less than full strength (in this case, much less) isn't any fun.

Still, who could have imagined the Chicago Bulls would come into the Garden yesterday for game one and beat the C's, 105-103 in overtime?

I think most assumed the Celts would get by the Bulls and possibly the Magic before ultimately falling to the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals, a noble feat. This was only one game but yikes. We could bow out in one round as the baby Bulls bear a striking resemblance to the Atlanta Hawks of last spring's playoffs (the one that pushed the Celtics to seven games).

Rookie point guard Derrick Rose was the story of the game as the 20-year old dropped a career-high 36 points, 11 assists and four rebounds before fouling out late in OT. Take nothing away from the kid (who has serious game) but as my friend said last night, it was a layup line for him virtually all day.

Garnett's defensive presence and energy were sorely missed as Boston struggled to find itself. Rajon Rondo (29 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists) did everything he could and Paul Pierce added 23 points and seven rebounds. Scoring wasn't the problem for most of the C's as Glen Davis tossed in 18 points and Kendrick Perkins notched 14 points and eight rebounds. The most troubling thing for Boston besides the lack of D was the disappearance of the artist formerly known as Ray Allen.

After being non-existent in the first two rounds last spring, Allen found his stroke vs. the Pistons and Lakers, en route to the title. He had a better regular season this year so his struggles last year seemed to be a distant memory. Not yesterday. Allen was 1-of-12 from the floor and he finished with four points.

Even though they were outplayed most of the game, Boston had a chance to win at the end of regulation; Pierce tied it with a free throw but missed the second that would have put them up by one. Later, Allen got the last shot in OT that would have tied it. A good look no doubt, but did anyone in the building (other than Doc and maybe Ray) think Allen's jumper was going in? Didn't think so.

Ben Gordon looked like a younger, more potent Ray Allen as he hit some big shots, on his way to 20 points. Tyrus Thomas, who suddenly has a decent jumper, added 16 points, six rebounds and three blocks while clown-prince Joakim Noah had a double-double (11 points, 17 rebounds) and three blocks. Finally, John Salmons scored 12 points.

Both teams scored 28 points in the first quarter and Chicago outscored Boston 25-16 in the second quarter. A good sign for Boston is that they erased the deficit almost immediately in the third (28-18). The Bulls had a slight advantage in the fourth (26-25) and OT (8-6).

Did I mention Chicago earned this W? Look at the numbers: Chicago shot 42.7% to Boston's 39.4%. The Bulls grabbed eight more boards (53-45) and handed out four more assists (20-16).

Tomorrow night is basically a must-win for the C's. Chicago has already taken away the home-court advantage so needless to say, they can't go to the Chi down 0-2.