Pierce The Hero As Celtics Win Another OT Thriller Against Bulls In Game 5

The younger Boston Celtics stars are stepping up in the absence of Kevin Garnett- and the Chicago Bulls are simply stepping up. The dueling teams delivered another tight, back-and-forth overtime game that came down to the final precious seconds. This time, the Celtics prevailed on the late-game heroics of their captain.

Paul Pierce led the Celtics in minutes with 51 and scored the final six points, including a 20-foot jumper with 3.4 seconds remaining in OT, to finish with 26 as the Celtics defeated the Bulls 106-104 in the third overtime game of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, which the Celtics now lead 3-2. Kendrick Perkins pulled down 19 rebounds, his postseason career-high, and Rajon Rondo nearly reached another triple double, finishing with 28 points, 11 assists, and 4 rebounds in 49 minutes. Glen “Big Baby” Davis also had a big night for the Celtics, scoring 21 on 7-for-11 shooting.

Ben Gordon led the Bulls in scoring after an MRI revealed a strained hamstring and left him day-to-day. Although Gordon only shot 6-for-21 field goals, he was 11-for-12 from the free throw line and ended up with 26 points. The Bulls kept themselves in the game with far superior bench play. Kirk Hinrich played 31 minutes off the bench and scored 19 points, while the entire Celtics bench was only 2-for-10 shooting all night. With two seconds remaining in OT, Brad Miller had a chance to make two free throws to tie the game and likely send it to double overtime, but missed his first shot.

Game 6 will be at Chicago Thursday night at 9:30 p.m. EST. The Bulls would like to see more of the same out of Joakim Noah– who nearly matched Perkins with 11 points and 17 rebounds- and more out of Derrick Rose, who scored only 14 and had no free throw attempts. The Celtics are certainly not going to want to be forced to rely as much on their starters as they did Tuesday night.

The way this series is going, it’s almost safe to predict another OT game in No.6. I say why not? This series has just about already reached classic status.

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Ray Allen Drains 3-Pointer for the Win In Game 2 Against Bulls

With just one clutch 3-point shot over the reach of Joakim Noah, Ray Allen made all Celtics fans forget about his dismal 1-for-12 performance in the game 1 loss against the Chicago Bulls at the Garden…Okay, we probably haven’t forgotten all about it, but for what it’s worth, Allen redeemed himself. The Celtics got another tough, close battle from the Bulls in game 2, but were able to pull out the 118-115 win, thanks to some clutch offensive play.

Allen exploded for 28 points in the second half after scoring only 2 in the first, as if some magical switch was suddenly turned on at halftime. He hit three-pointer after three-pointer, none bigger than the one he nailed with two seconds remaining to seal the victory for the Celtics. Though it’s not quite how most of us envisioned the series, it’s tied 1-1 going back to Chicago, and if not for Allen’s performance could have been a lot worse for the Celtics.

LeBron Nails the Deep Buzzer-Beater

In a weekend fill of shocks and upsets in the NBA playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business in cruising past the Detroit Pistons in their game 1. LeBron James makes it look way too easy with this 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer, extending the lead for the Cavs to 13 at the time. If he isn’t already, LeBron will probably eventually be trying to make these shots, and making them on purpose. By that, I mean he won’t just be chucking up half-court prayers. He’ll be taking legitimate shot attempts.

Vince Carter Makes It Look Easy From Half-Court

Vince Carter had a huge first quarter last night against the Magic, dropping 15 on Dwight N’ the Gang. Three of them come from this buzzer-beater shot which, all things considered, looks like a normal shot coming out of Carter’s hands. “Vinsanity” finished with just 27 after that first-quarter outburst, but it doesn’t make this shot any less impressive.

Rasual Butler Hits Another Buzzer-Beater

This play made my friend choke on his drink and gasp for air. The Hornets trailed the Miami Heat 79-76 in a decidedly un-exciting game for offense, before Rasual Butler gets the ball for one last Hail Mary. As he chucks this ball in the air almost aimlessly, you can almost tell it’s a perfect shot right out of his hands. He drains the prayer at the buzzer, and the Hornets end up winning 93-87 in overtime behind that play and Chris Paul’s 26 points. It’s plays like these that could see us watching the Hornets play in the NBA Finals come June.

Josh Howard From 3/4 Court

The Mavericks scored an absurd 140 points the other night, including 81 at the half. This video features 3 of those points by Josh Howard, as he chucks up this prayer with 1.3 seconds left in the second quarter. It’s more often than we think, but still a fun sight to see when players throw up shots from beyond downtown and into the boondocks, and sink them like they really meant to.

Butler Drains the Game-Winner

With precious little time to get off a shot, the Hornets’ Rasual Butler actually gets to a nice spot for it, as he shakes the defender, takes the inbound and pops for the shot right away. The buzzer sounds just as the swish goes down. Wins are at a premium in the extremely tight Western Conference race, with 2nd and 8th being separated by just 4.5 games. New Orleans still has a shot at home-court advantage in the first round, and this game-winner by Butler will certainly be crucial to the standings at the end of the regular season.

Iguodala Drains 3 to Sink Lakers

Andre Iguodala, or AI2, is not known for his three-point shooting. He is typically a high-energy, slash-and-drive style of player known for his athleticism and leaping ability. But the Sixers gave him the ball for the last possession of last night’s game against the Lakers anyway, and did not hesitate going for the win. Watch Iggy nail the 3 at the buzzer to hand L.A. just their 14th loss of the season.

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Yao from Downtown!?!?!?!?

This video has been burning up the ranks on Youtube this weekend, of the 7’5″ monster Yao Ming not only attempting a three-point shot, but draining it as the shot clock expires. It’s always amusing to see players with no business being outside the arc taking these shots when they have no other choice. It was Yao’s second successful three-pointer of his career, putting him one ahead of Shaquille O’Neal. That shot (about 10 seconds in) overshadows the somewhat exciting finish to this game, which the Rockets won 91-86 Friday.