Double OT Miracle

The Bulls overcame the refs, poor free-throw shooting, and some less than top-notch coaching to win game 4. 

Gordon hit a clutch three to send the game to 2OT

Notes from game 4

• Every Bulls player who played (minus 15 seconds from Lindsey Hunter) scored in double figures
• How do the Bulls let Ray Allen get open for the three near the end of regulation to tie the game when we are up by 3 points?  The only thing that hurts us is a 3, and I wonder if the coaching staff brought that up or not during the timeout.  They did this coming off a time-out!  And he didn't even have a hand in his face. On the flip side, how do the celtics let Gordon shoot the three near the end of 1OT as they have a 3 point lead with ten seconds to go?  Craziness that the two pure shooters of this series were able to get good lucks on threes in the most crucial moments of the game.  In other news, Gordon apparently grabbed his crotch after knocking down that three, but upon further review and comment by Gordon, he was just nursing his Groin injury.  Truth.
• The refs lost their whistle on a series of plays early in the 4th / late in the 3rd.  Consistency is not in their vocabulary.
• Ben Gordon strained his hamstring in the 2nd quarter, but continued to stay warm by riding a stationary bike and taking other steps to prevent his hamstring from locking up.  Will be something to watch as we head into game 5.
• Paul Pierce played well, hit some big shots down the stretch, and took the blame for not getting in Gordon's face enough in the shot that tied it in 1OT.
• Derrick Rose is one assist shy of having his first triple double.  Rondo completes his second triple double of the series, first time it's been done twice in a series since Jason Kidd in 2002.
• Game is being recast on ESPN CLASSIC Monday 4/27 at 5 pm ET.  Your guide may say MLB baseball, but this game is taking that slot.
• Tickets for game 6 surprisingly are still available thru ticketmaster.  Check ticketmaster before hitting up craigslist and ebay.
• 2 for 1.  Learn it.  Do it.  Ever since Phil Jackson left town, the Bulls consistently fail to get 2 for 1 shots at the end of quarters.  With 35 - 40 seconds left, why don't we get a shot of around 28 - 30?  I understand you don't want to force something, but occasionaly this should happen.  Have not seen it much in the past 10 years.
• Every missed free throw by the Bulls in the 4th was so painful.  And to consider we were one of the best free throw shooting teams in the league.  Luckily it did not come back to bite us, but you can bet everyone will be shooting hundreds of free throws on monday.
• The Brad Miller / Big Baby skirmish looked a lot worse live than it did on replay.  Initially everyone around me thought Brad had punched him, but it turned out it was just a sleight-of-body from Big Baby.  Tyrus was the first to intervene and grab his buddy and break up the potential fight between his teammate and his close friend.  I thought the refs did a decent job of at least getting that call right and overturning Miller's initial ejection.
• Madhouse on Madison was back in form Sunday.  The crowd did a great job of lifting the Bulls in a game where players could have easily become tired playing near 50 minutes.  Both Pierce and Rondo played 50+ minutes.