National Basketball Association

Bulls force Game 7 with triple-OT triumph

Published May. 1, 2009 8:07 a.m. ET

foxsports

One more overtime thriller has the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics headed for a Game 7. Seems only fitting for this series.

Derrick Rose scored 28 points and blocked Rajon Rondo's potential game-winner, John Salmons scored 35, and the Bulls beat the defending champions 128-127 in triple overtime Thursday night to even the first-round series.

Ray Allen scored a career playoff-high 51 points for the Celtics, but it's back to Boston for Game 7 on Saturday night after another instant classic in a series that had already seen its share of drama.

Three of the first five games went to overtime, including a Game 4 that went two extra periods. Another came down to the wire in regulation, but this easily trumped them all.

Rondo penetrated and pulled up on the left block with 8 seconds left and turned, only to be rejected by Rose. The rookie of the year then missed two free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining, before Rondo launched a harmless heave from beyond midcourt.

That ended the game. The series, however, continues.

"This series is a lot of fun for the fans, the people of Chicago, the people of Boston," said Joakim Noah of the Bulls, who made the go-ahead three-point play after a steal. "It's a lot of fun for us, too, playing in environments like this on the big stage. It's special to be part of this, and I know that it's a series people will be talking about for a long time."