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Rajon Rondo finished with a triple-double (32-15-10) as the Celtics beat the Bulls, 95-91.
Joakim Noah is just a goofy dude, so you'd expect his celebrations would be awkward. And, of course, they are. He turned a regular finga gunz celebration into a three-act play on Sunday as the Bulls took on the Celtics, and it was quite amazing.
Watch as Noah unleashes shots from his finger pistols, then holsters his "guns," all while yelling "BANG."
The Chicago Bulls can struggle on offense even with injured star Derrick Rose. Without him, the best team in the Eastern Conference is having trouble with the wizened Celtics on Sunday. Boston leads, 48-43, at halftime in the TD Garden.
Rajon Rondo has gone to work for the Celtics, scoring 16 points against C.J. Watson and John Lucas to lead all scorers. He's also dished out six assists and pulled down three rebounds, and he's gotten help from Kevin Garnett, who has seven points and six rebounds.
The Bulls, on the other hand, are having trouble getting the ball in the basket. Joakim Noah leads Chicago with 12 points, and has six rebounds (four of them offensive), but the Bulls are shooting a miserable 34.0 percent from the field, and Watson (three for 13) and Luol Deng (zero for five) are playing especially poorly.
For more on the Celtics, visit CelticsBlog and SB Nation Boston. For more on the Bulls, visit Blog-a-Bull and SB Nation Chicago.
Derrick Rose has dealt with various injuries all season, but the Chicago Bulls point guard has typically been able to play through the pain after a couple days of rest. His most recent ailment, however, has the reigning MVP saying he'll seep a specialist on Monday.
Rose has been dealing with a sore back as of late and, while he was originally a game-time decision for Sunday afternoon's match-up with the Boston Celtics, K.C. Johnson reports that he'll miss the game altogether as he tries to recover. Rose also told the media that he'll be seeking a specialist on Monday, which could indicate this injury is worse than originally thought.
On Saturday, Rose told the Chicago Tribune that this season has been the most he's ever been injured.
"I really don't know," Rose said about playing Sunday. "When I wake up, I usually can tell. ... It's just sore and stiff. I don't know what to do. Hopefully it will heal in a matter of time."
Hopefully being the key word, of course, but it sounds like this injury might cause Rose to miss more than Sunday's game.
For more on the Celtics, visit CelticsBlog and SB Nation Boston. For more on the Bulls, visit Blog-a-Bull and SB Nation Chicago.
The Chicago Bulls haven't just done well on a nine-game road trip that will end Sunday in Boston against the Celtics (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC). The Bulls have had historic success. Chicago is now 6-2 on the trip, having lost the opener in Miami and the third game in Philadelphia. But in each the last four games, the Bulls have won by at least 20 points. According to Elias Sports Bureau, no team had ever won three straight road games by 20 or more, let alone four.
Chicago's most recent win was a 95-64 drubbing of the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday; the 'Cats didn't score more than 18 in any quarter. Of course it's the defense that has carried the Bulls through this string, as the four opponents have averaged offensive ratings of 87. It must be noted, though, that the last two opponents -- the Hornets and Bobcats -- are by far the worst teams in the NBA, having lost a combined 22 straight as of Sunday.
Boston had a chance to wash away the taste of Thursday's tough loss to the L.A. Lakers in a meeting with the Toronto Raptors on Friday, but the offense was just abysmal and Toronto won by 12. Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen combined for just 11 points on 5-18 shooting in that game, and Boston's once vaunted defense let the Raptors control the glass and avoid giveaways. The double dose of defeat has dropped Boston to 14-12, solidly in the East's No. 7 spot, 3.5 games out of the No. 4 spot (that comes with home court advantage in the first round) and 7.5 games behind Chicago, who is No. 1 in the conference.
The game's slated for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Follow this StoryStream for full coverage.
The Boston Celtics will play host to the road-tripping Chicago Bulls on Sunday in a matinee on ABC. The match-up has lost a bit of its luster since an epic seven-game series between the teams three years ago, when Derrick Rose kept his underdog squad fighting hard to knock off a titan. The roles are reversed, as the Celtics are floating near the bottom of playoff seeds and the Bulls are on top.
ABC will tip off pre-game coverage 3 p.m. ET, and the game is slated to start at 3:30 p.m. ET. It is the only NBA game slated for ABC on Sunday, though ESPN will pick up coverage with an evening double-header that begins with the Miami Heat vs. the Atlanta Hawks and ends with the Utah Jazz meeting the Memphis Grizzlies.
For more on the Celtics, visit CelticsBlog and SB Nation Boston. For more on the Bulls, visit Blog-a-Bull and SB Nation Chicago.
Bulls Vs. Celtics Final Score: Rajon Rondo's Triple-Double Helps Boston Hold On, 95-91
Derrick Rose missed Chicago's game in Boston on Sunday with a balky back. Rajon Rondo took advantage, with his ninth career triple-double, in Boston's 95-91 victory.
Rondo had 32 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, whose once-feared Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen combined for 33 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists, and put together just the 10th performance of 30 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds in NBA history. (Stat via Beckley Mason.)
Rondo also harassed Bulls point guard C.J. Watson, who made just eight of 23 shots en route to 22 points. Luol Deng's day was almost as bad, as he made three of 12 shots in a 10-point performance, and Carlos Boozer's 22 points and seven rebounds were marred by four turnovers and five fouls.
The Celtics never trailed.
For more on the Celtics, visit CelticsBlog and SB Nation Boston. For more on the Bulls, visit Blog-a-Bull and SB Nation Chicago.
Feb 12 6:14p by Andy Hutchins - 0 comments