Bulls v. Celtics, Game 7: Third Quarter

TNT informs us that the Bulls' largest second half comeback this year was from 10 down; that's not promising much drama, really. Salmons misses, but Perkins turns. Nice ball movement leads to a Rose jumper, and it's 52-40, first field goal in nearly nine minutes. Thomas blocks Davis and foul call is late but correct; I suspect that if Davis had blood on his face, that would have been called a flagrant. Davis makes the first only. Thomas off a drive from Gordon, and Davis is blocked by JoNo. A very long pause before Rose is called on Davis getting the charge call. 53-42. Pierce misses another three, and Noah's 11th board. Rondo with a touch foul, and he's over playing everything now. Rose makes, and it's now to a 9-point game. Crowd was quiet, but then Allen got free of Gordon from a pick. JoNo collects Davis's third foul, and give Sideshow his due; he now has 2 points to go with 11 boards, and you can live with that thanks for the blocked shots.

Davis uses Salmons on a switch; back to 11. Salmons not exactly covering himself in glory in this game. Rose hits his third in a row from good ball movement, and Gordon is more the point guard now. Allen replies with the three, and he's just the safety valve now. JoNo with the o-board on a no-call on Gordon, and that's Perkins' fourth foul: telling. The free throw make cuts it to 9 again.

Rondo to Davis but a miss, and after the Perkins o-board -- surprised he's still on the floor -- Davis turns it. Gordon misses a three that would have made this a lot tighter, and Perkins finally gets of the floor. Davis scores from a Rondo feed; positively Nash-esque, that. Hinrich in for Thomas, and he's another guy who's hurt his team tonight. Salmons misses from three, but the JoNo back tap saves the possession, and Gordon can't convert either; the possession continues with Gordon over-dribbling on an iso on Allen, ugly possession, but it ends with Gordon getting to the line. Two makes gets it back to 9.

Rondo drives, Noah grabs him by the shoulders and spins him to the floor as Celtics Fan goes apeshit. We go to commerce wondering if this is the first of many important referee moments, but for now, no flagrant call. The teams trade points, but with Brad Miller 's make, that's the first bench field goal of the game for the Bulls; the lead is 8, but a Rose turnover in transition is a bad unforced error. Hinrich with a steal on Scalabrine, and Rose doesn't get the call on a drive, but the rim has lids on both sides, and random slop offense leads to a timeout, but not before a Rondo technical from Steve Javie. Some Dumbness Right Now, and the Bulls have taken advantage enough to cut the lead in half.

Davis with a make, answered by Salmons, and the lead is still 7. Rondo picks up his tenth assist on a great feed to Pierce. Miller scores from in tight. Pierce all the way to the hole. Miller with a miss. Allen to the rack and it's 9 again; the Bulls are staying within striking distance, but not a lot more than that.

Allen makes two from the line to make it 11 again. Rose over Davis, and he's making a lot of those now -- 10 in the quarter. Davis to the rack for the old school three, back to 12. Salmons to the rack for what should have been a block/charge call, but the refs wimp out and call a touch foul on Rondo before the drive. Salmons makes both, and it's back to 10. TNT making a big deal out of Rondo's 30 dimes to 0 turns, and, well, they should. Rondo gets to the line on Hinrich's first. TNT also notes that Hinrich and Miller are 2 of 10 tonight, after being huge all series. Well, um, folks? That's what happens to bench players on the road in Game 7. Rondo makes both, and if the Bulls really want to make a run, they need stops. JoNo to the line, makes both, back to 10 with a minute left in the third. Davis misses from distance. Gordon with a huge, beautiful three pointer to cut it to 7. Last possession is Rondo on Hinrich, and he turns it over, and that's it. Celtics 78, Bulls 71.