By theory, the NBA Draft Lottery (Tuesday at 8:00 PM ET) is left to randomness. But what if basketball karma dictated the results? Good triumphs over evil. Fairness and compassion reign. Robert Horry does not exist. It's a wonderful world.
Close your eyes and imagine how the ping pong balls would bounce if karma ruled tonight's lottery ...
BOSTON -- And so it ends, without a single overtime period or defibrillator, restoring normalcy to the surreal and pumping life into the NBA's defending champions. It's quite doubtful the wheezing, battered Celtics will repeat this postseason, what with The LeBronster on vacation and absurdly rested, yet the memories they created with the Chicago Bulls are indelible.
CHICAGO -- It was a primal scream, delivered with all the rock-star force and decibels that Joakim Noah could muster in a half-raucous, half-exhausted arena. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" he yelled, or something like that. After another three hours and 56 minutes of psychoball, part of an epic series with four overtime games, seven overtime periods, 65 ties, 105 lead changes, 16 stitches, a claw to the face and a slammed body into an NBA Cares advertisement, what else would The Greatest First-Round Series Ever do but produce a Game 7?
Calling Game 6 of Bulls-Celtics epic is a vast understatement. The game was completely unbelievable. As in, if you didn't see it, you wouldn't believe everything that happened actually happened. I don't doubt trying to dissemble the game into mere memories will drive some fans mad with anxiety and frustration.
The Bulls ended up victorious after four hours of battle with the defending champs. This series had already tied the NBA record for most overtime periods in a series ... before tonight's triptych of extra frames. And for each overtime, there was a mess of incredible and unforgettable plays.
Bulls 128, Celtics 127: Recap | Box Score | Scoreboard Series Tied 3-3 | Next Game: Saturday, 8 PM @ Boston
CHICAGO -- To all the prejudices and biases that complicate our tangled world, today we add "oafism." Rajon Rondo, as you probably know, all but defaced Brad Miller in the final frenetic seconds of Game 5 in the Best NBA First-Round Series Ever Played. Rondo leaped, popped him in the mouth, drew blood when Miller's tooth cut his lip, forced him to get a stitch job and left him so woozy that his eyeballs were peeking out of his eardrums.
Dwight Howard's elbow on Tuesday night wasn't the only play that had fans wondering if one of the game's premier performers would be forced to sit out their team's next game. Rajon Rondo's foul to the back of Brad Miller's head at the end of overtime had many wondering if he would suffer the same fate as Howard: a one-game suspension.
The NBA has weighed in, and said that the play "stands as called." No suspension for Rondo, and no retroactive penalty of a flagrant foul will be assessed.
And just like in the case with Howard, I believe that the league absolutely got this one right.
It took a few extra minutes to pull it off, but the Celtics are once again in the driver's seat, defeating the Bulls 106-104 in overtime to take a 3-2 lead in their first-round matchup with Chicago. If you're surprised this game went down to the wire, well, how's that rock you've been hiding under? Four of the five games have been decided by three points or fewer, and three have gone longer than 48 minutes. Rajon Rondo was once again phenomenal, coming just two boards shy of a triple-double (he finished with 28 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds) but it was Paul Pierce who put this game on ice for the Celtics, scoring 14 of his 26 points after the third quarter, including Boston's final six points in overtime.
NBA referees often serve as punching bags for the fans, especially in the playoffs. Every call or non-call is analyzed; since so much of NBA play is subjective and contextual, bleated opinions can come after every close game. FanHouse's Matt Moore did a great job admonishing fans who choose the easy way out.
The league, with its lack of sunshine on referee oversight, hasn't helped matters. But even further, the media itself perpetuates these rumblings. In the most recent case, a writer tossed some kindling on the fire ... with no disputed call even at stake.
CHICAGO -- The calendar says late April. Paul Pierce's body language Sunday -- watery eyes, scratchy voice, tired bones, irritable scowl -- suggested June. Last we saw him this out of sorts, he was being carted to the locker room in an NBA Finals drama that became a rallying force. Should another wheelchair be summoned, if only for the man's shaken psyche?
"This was a tough one to swallow," Pierce said Sunday, visibly irked by the wild proceedings in the United Center. "I'm very disappointed that we lost and very disappointed in the way I played. Little things can kill you in the playoffs ... like me not covering the three when Ben Gordon was coming off the flare."
He won't find an annoyed soul in New England who disagrees today. How in the name of Celtic Pride and 17 championship banners could Gordon, bothered by a strained left hamstring that will require an MRI, shake off Pierce with 4.5 seconds left in the first overtime and nail a three-pointer that tied the game? How could the defending champions not listen to their coach, do the smart thing and foul someone -- anyone wearing red and white -- in that situation?
Bulls 121, Celtics 118: Recap | Box Score | Scoreboard Series Tied at 2-2 | Next Game: Tuesday, 7 PM ET @ Boston
NBA Essentials provides the must-see links, quotes and videos of the day.
* "[Roy Hibbert]'s sitting next to Travis [Diener], which I find very interesting. You have to watch Travis because he can be very tricky on flights. Roy has an expensive bag he uses as a carry-on and on our last flight from Boston, Travis thought it would be a good idea to hide a meatball in it. Now, this was not a meatball in tin foil or anything but a meatball with pasta sauce and parmesan cheese on it. Roy was not amused, to say the least." -- Troy Murphy's blog, via Indy Cornrows.
By theory, the NBA Draft Lottery (Tuesday at 8:00 PM ET) is left to randomness. But what if basketball karma dictated the results? Good triumphs over evil. Fairness and compassion reign. Robert Horry does not exist. It's a wonderful world.
Calling Game 6 of Bulls-Celtics epic is a vast understatement. The game was completely unbelievable. As in, if you didn't see it, you wouldn't believe everything that happened actually happened. I don't doubt trying to dissemble the game into mere memories will drive some fans mad with anxiety and frustration.
CHICAGO -- To all the prejudices and biases that complicate our tangled world, today we add "oafism." Rajon Rondo, as you probably know, all but defaced Brad Miller in the final frenetic seconds of Game 5 in the Best NBA First-Round Series Ever Played. Rondo leaped, popped him in the mouth, drew blood when Miller's tooth cut his lip, forced him to get a stitch job and left him so woozy that his eyeballs were peeking out of his eardrums.
Dwight Howard's elbow on Tuesday night wasn't the only play that had fans wondering if one of the game's premier performers would be forced to sit out their team's next game. Rajon Rondo's foul to the back of Brad Miller's head at the end of overtime had many wondering if he would suffer the same fate as Howard: a one-game suspension.
It took a few extra minutes to pull it off, but the Celtics are once again in the driver's seat, defeating the Bulls 106-104 in overtime to take a 3-2 lead in their first-round matchup with Chicago. If you're surprised this game went down to the wire, well, how's that rock you've been hiding under? Four of the five games have been decided by three points or fewer, and three have gone longer than 48 minutes. 
NBA referees often serve as punching bags for the fans, especially in the playoffs. Every call or non-call is analyzed; since so much of NBA play is subjective and contextual, bleated opinions can come after every close game. FanHouse's Matt Moore did a great job admonishing fans who choose the easy way out.
CHICAGO -- The calendar says late April. Paul Pierce's body language Sunday -- watery eyes, scratchy voice, tired bones, irritable scowl -- suggested June. Last we saw him this out of sorts, he was being carted to the locker room in an NBA Finals drama that became a rallying force. Should another wheelchair be summoned, if only for the man's shaken psyche?
NBA Essentials provides the must-see links, quotes and videos of the day.
