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Rajon Rondo not enough to stop charging Bulls 01.18.13 at 10:16 pm ET
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Rajon Rondo (9) looks to pass as he is pressured by Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich (12). (AP)

Marco Belinelli‘s jumper from 14 feet as he was falling to the ground with 3.1 seconds left in overtime lifted the Bulls to a stunning 100-99 win over the Celtics Friday night at TD Garden. Courtney Lee‘s desperation shot off the glass missed as time expired. Jason Terry hit a wide open jumper with 12.5 seconds left in overtime to put Boston on top before the circus shot fell through for the Bulls, who improve to 23-15 on the season.

Rajon Rondo finished with a season-high 30 points before fouling out in overtime. Rondo appeared to have given the Celtics the biggest shot of the night when he hit a wide open 20-foot jumper with 36.6 seconds left to put the Celtics up, 86-84. But Kirk Hinrich drained a jumper with 2.0 seconds left to force overtime.

Kevin Garnett had 11 of his 16 points in the fourth to lead a second-half comeback. Before fouling out late in overtime, Jared Sullinger had 15 rebounds off the bench for the Celtics, who lost their second straight after a six-game winning streak. Boston finished its season-long homestand 3-2. Rip Hamilton had 20 points while Carlos Boozer (19 points, 19 rebounds) and Joakim Noah (14, 13) each had double-doubles to lead the Bulls.

Chicago came out and took control early, leading 17-7. The Celtics responded with a 10-2 run but still trailed 23-19 after 12 minutes. The Bulls led 45-39 at the half. Rondo carried the Celtics through three quarters, making 9-of-14 shots and scoring 21 points. Pierce and Garnett were ice cold through three quarters, combining to shoot 4-for-22.

Entering the fourth, the Celtics trailed, 68-62, as Carlos Boozer had 17 points 15 rebounds while holding Kevin Garnett to 1-of-10 shooting.

But Garnett made his first shot of the fourth quarter to keep the Celtics within six, 70-64. Garnett drilled his next shot, a jumper from the top of the circle with just over 10 minutes left to draw the Celtics to within two, 70-68, capping a 6-0 spurt to open the period. With 7:03 remaining, Rondo hit a layup to tie the game, 74-74 as the Celtics opened the fourth on a 12-6 run.

But Hamilton responded immediately with a jumper from the top of the key to put the Bulls back on top. Kirk Hinrich followed with a three with just over six minutes left to expand Chicago’s lead to five. But Rondo responded with four of the next five points, tying the game, 79-79, with two free throws with five minutes left.

Rondo then gave Boston its first lead of the night, 80-79, by hitting one of two free throws with 4:37 left. Hamilton’s layup with 3:51 left put Chicago back on top. After Garnett hit one of two free throws to tie the game, Jimmy Butler hit a pair of free throws with 3:15 left to put the Bulls ahead, 83-81. Pierce’s free-throw line jumper with 3:02 left tied the game again, 83-83.

After Noah hit one of two, Garnett tied the game, 84-84, also hitting one of two free throws with 2:20 left. Following a miss by Hamilton, Rondo took the ball up the court and the Bulls defense backed off. He stepped back and nailed a jumper to put the Celtics on top. Boozer was fouled by Pierce with 22.5 seconds left and hit only one of two to close the gap to 86-85. Garnett was fouled with 20.1 seconds left and hit both free throws to put Boston up 88-85.

Rondo gave a foul on Hinrich with 12.1 left and the Bulls guard made just one of two, making it 88-86. Noah forced a jump ball with Pierce with 9.4 seconds left. The Bulls won the tip and Marco Belinelli fed Hinrich for the game-tying shot with 2.0 seconds left. Rondo inbounded to Garnett at the top of the circle but his fallaway jumper didn’t draw iron to force OT.

Noah hit 1-of-2 free throws with 3:23 left in overtime to put the Bulls up, 89-88, but Pierce answered with a driving layup moments later to put Boston back on top. Boozer answered with 1-of-2 from the line with just under three minutes left to tie the game. Jimmy Butler’s dunk with 2:17 left put Chicago up two but Jason Terry answered with a three with 1:57 remaining. Butler came back with an alley-oop layup with 1:45 remaining, putting the Bulls on top, 94-93. Rondo fouled out with 1:16 left and Butler hit a pair of free throws, making it 96-93 Chicago.

Garnett answered with a jumper with 1:08 left to pull Boston within one, 96-95. Sullinger fouled out with 50.1 seconds remaining and Noah hit a pair of free throws to make it 98-95 Chicago.

The Celtics have Saturday off before traveling to Detroit for a game with the Pistons Sunday night in Detroit. For more, visit the Celtics team page at weei.com/celtics.

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  • Gman

    Refs stole it. Pierce got fouled, the Bulls never even tied the ball up and they call a jump ball. Rondo got shoved from behind and they call the 6th foul on him for a loose ball foul. Belinelli flops after barely getting  touched and he gets to the line. Sullinger barely touches someone and he gets called for his 6th foul. This is why I don’t watch the NBA unless the Celtics are playing and am so excited that hockey is back.

  • Discusted

    The NBA sucks.  Does anybody think that Pierce was really tied up near the end of regulation?  NFW.  How can the officiating be so poor…year after year, after year.  It can’t be random, it has to be of design. NBA = WWE

    • Bruinman86

       Hate to say it, but it’s like a broken record.  The League reffing is so bad, the game can be infuriating to watch.  Sure we get calls our way too, but I would be more than happy to trade those gift calls for the game being called correctly.  Stern can’t leave fast enough.

      • Old Time Hockey

        yeah I don’t like to talk refs but the reffing in this league that I have seen is atrocious. it’s not about what actually happen or didn’t happen by the rules it’s the name on the back of the jersey. If Sully is anywhere nearby he gets the foul. I’d like to see them start calling the lower your shoulder and just plow into people as an offensive foul once in awhile. 
        The last call tie up or held ball was a joke but that was just one of many, many bad calls and like others have said I can’t stand watching the NBA and will not watch any games not involving the C’s. Go B’s

        • Bruinman86

          This whole Star treatment crap needs to go.  A foul is a foul, regardless of who committed it or who it was committed against.  I haven’t loved the NBA game since the 80′s.

  • Celtics1975

    Mike breen can stick up 4 the refs all he want’s, but they focked up this one. Never shoulda went 2 over time.

  • OwlSmart

    Great game, tough outcome. Pierce struggled tonight, been in funk for couple in a row now.

  • Star

    Danny should have drafted NOAH.

    • Celtics1975

      So you would prefer noah to a championship

    • Sicko

       Okay krusty….

    • Fab4ever

      Yeah right Krusty…Noah ended up building an ark and saved the animals…he won’t win a championship.

  • Guest2432

    They called a held ball, which isnt the same as a tie up. It means the player just held the ball rather than moving. Its to prevent the player from just holding the ball as the clock ticks down. This way they have to make a basketball move or at least dribble or pass. It was still the wrong call, but they didnt call a jump ball, but a held ball. Bulls got a steal tonight and Terry hit some huge shots in that game.

  • Cfn

    I watched game on computer; it was not cleear to me if Pierce was fouled.  It could have been good defense as well.  Can anybody be objective and say it was a clear foul or were we screwed.  Yes I agree it would be a held ball if he wasn’t fouled.  Also, were they trying to foul?

    • Fab4ever

      It was clear to me that there were Bulls ripping at his arms…but that didn’t cost them the game..it only appears that way because it was at the end and it was an obviously bad call…The C’s had plenty of opportunity to put this game away but they didn’t…The refs are consistently calling a game that’s different than Abner Doubleday designed…it remains a mystery to me…

  • Chrisindanvers

    Good, hard fought game with both team lacking in important player. While I am generally not one who complains too much about the refs – they did have an off game on this one (many unusual calls, including the jump at the end…which was a ridiculous call – earlier in the game, there were several others).

    That being said, Celtics shooting was off all night. KG and PP looked lethargic at times. And, the team had a hard time spreading the floor.  Likewise, Rondo had a monster game; however when he is usually in his score first mode, the team often loses. So, no surprise there.

  • The_Public

    Did I watch a game with real refs or were the refs on the court a hoax? 

  • Dave

    Held ball? This isn’t college. Pierce can “hold” the ball for as long as he wants, as long as he’s not in the backcourt or the paint.  This loss hurts, but I still can’t blame the refs: the C’s played one out of four quarters.  This team really needs Bradley.

  • Nazzi_Muhammad

    David Stern and his bag-o-bond bunch of idiot ref’s always decide the outcome of the game. It’s the way it is, has been and always will be. It’s a farce. 

  • Chrisindanvers

    Good comments about the weird situation at the 9 second mark. It probably should not have been called. Incidentally, the call – which we rarely ever actually hear by name – is called a “held ball.” Both players must have clear control of the ball (this fact is debatable by the video – Noah had control of the ball via Pierce’s head for a “held ball” to be whistled. The result is a jump ball. We often hear the refs call for a “jump ball,” but the prior call to that is “held ball.”

    In the case of this call, the wrong call was actually assessed, because Paul Pierce was hit at least three times prior to the held ball when he had clear control. It is too bad, because the Celtics really were not playing their best game, came back anyway, then had a poor call at the end of the game – worst time to make that call. But, teams known for their defense (Celtics and Bulls) do get that call from time to time at the end of the game.

  • bouncy bouncy

    Do any of Rondo’s best games result in wins?

    • Old Time Hockey

      They won this game. Rondo saw that Pierce and Garnett were off and that he had to step up his offensive game. Rondo is the main reason they were even in this game. Some people just hate. get a life

    • Fab4ever

      Go away Krusty…

  • mike

    Sullinger out there warring with this tough front line for 38 minutes and in this write up it is worthy of one sentence? Seriously? Go read what Boozer and Noah had to say about Sully. This was a disappointing loss because even without playing that well we should have put this game away bad calls or no bad calls.  Still this was an intense game fought with passion and mental toughness and I found lots to be encouraged about. 

  • Titletown1

    Losing like this to the Bulls makes the loss to the Hornets all the more painful. Got to beat up on the dregs of the league to compete.

  • briskclown

    That jump ball call with noah and paul pierce was a real bad call including the foul called on pierce when it was post to be a charge

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