ORLANDO -- Dwight Howard just took matters into his own hands Thursday night.
He complained about not getting the ball enough in a Game 5 loss in Boston – even threw his coach under the bus in the process – so he went and got the ball himself in Game 6.
Howard got the shots he wanted – scored 23 points -- but it still was his 22 rebounds that made the difference. He had an incredible 10 offensive rebounds, dominating around the basket at both ends in a 83-75 victory to even this best-of-seven series.
When the Boston Celtics first assembled the Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, they essentially told untested young point guard Rajon Rondo to just stay out of the way.
Today, they are asking him to lead the way.
Rondo, 23, has progressed so rapidly and so impressively this season that he has gone from a role-playing afterthought in their championship run of 2008 to the key in their surprisingly-stubborn defense of a title in 2009.
"You could say my role has changed a little,'' Rondo said earlier this week. "People look to me more. I'm being asked, and expected, to do more. And I like that.''
The Celtics prevailed in their opening-round, seven-game thriller with Chicago because Allen was brilliant from long range, making his shots like he was taking target practice at the rifle range, giving everyone around him a boost of confidence.
The Orlando Magic were without Rafer Alston, their starting point guard because of a one-game suspension. They lost Dwight Howard, their All-Star center, to foul trouble in the second half. Their other point guard, Anthony Johnson, had a late-game meltdown.
While everyone waited for the Magic to fade Friday night, they turned to their Twin Forwards, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu, who carried them to an impressive, 117-96 drubbing of the Celtics.
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.
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
After Saturday's loss to the Bulls, Doc Rivers didn't exactly seemed thrilled to face the press, let alone answer questions about players that didn't even dress. When a reporter asked why Kevin Garnett was absent from the bench in the second half, Rivers reached a boiling point.
"Guys, Kevin is not playing in this playoffs," Rivers said. "I'm not answering Kevin Garnett questions. I didn't even notice, honestly, until someone told me that he wasn't on the bench and I could care less. You know, hell, he was on the bench in the first half and we were down [nine]. So this is about the players in uniform. Kevin is gone. And he ain't coming back. The guys in uniform have to play."
Take a look at that picture. What do you see? I mean, aside from Doc Rivers' look of abject terror while being subjected to the Derrick Rose Experience. See that thing on his lapel? If you look closely (don't squint, there's a bigger picture after the jump), you'll see it's a pin with the initials "C.D."
The National Basketball Coaches' Association announced last week that they were dedicating the 2009 playoffs to Hall of Fame coach Chuck Daly, who was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer last month, and they're honoring him by wearing a lapel pin featuring his initials. For a coach known for his sartorial elegance (his players nicknamed him "Daddy Rich" for his fine suits), it's only fitting that he's being honored with a fashion accessory.
Believe it or not, Boston's 62-win season this year might be even more impressive than their 66-win campaign a year ago, especially when you consider the world champs had a target on their back the entire season and Kevin Garnett played a mere 57 games. The Bulls, meanwhile, made the jump from winning the lottery to getting back into the playoffs despite losing Luol Deng for the last two months of the season. The Celtics are favored, and for good reason, but Chicago's athletic young core will make the champs work for every inch.
ORLANDO -- Dwight Howard just took matters into his own hands Thursday night.
When the Boston Celtics first assembled the Big Three of 
If the best pure shooter in the NBA can't start hitting his shots again, the Boston Celtics don't have a chance in this playoff series.
ORLANDO -- This was a study in resiliency.
CHICAGO -- To all the prejudices and biases that complicate our tangled world, today we add "oafism." 
CHICAGO -- The calendar says late April. 
After Saturday's loss to the Bulls, 
Take a look at that picture. What do you see? I mean, aside from 
FanHouse previews the 
