A quick look at Thursday’s NBA games:
Celtics 127 at Bulls 128 (3OT)
Another overtime thriller has the Bulls and Boston Celtics heading for a Game 7.
Derrick Rose scored 28 points and blocked Rajon Rondo’s potential game-winner, and John Salmons scored 35, as the Bulls beat the defending champions 128-127 in triple overtime Thursday night to tie the first-round series at three games apiece.
Ray Allen scored a career playoff-high 51 points for the Celtics, but the series — which has had a record four games go a total of seven overtimes — will go back to Boston for Game 7 on Saturday.
Rondo penetrated and pulled up on the left block with eight 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.
Allen finished three points shy of John Havlicek’s club playoff record and tied the NBA playoff mark with nine three-pointers.
Magic 114 at 76ers 89
Playing without suspended star Dwight Howard and injured guard Courtney Lee, Orlando beat the 76ers in Game 6 to advance to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Howard, who was suspended one game by the NBA for his elbow on Sixers centre Samuel Dalembert in Game 5, will return when the Magic play the winner of the Boston-Chicago series.
Rashard Lewis scored 29 points and Rafer Alston had 21 to help the Magic win on the road for the second time this series. The Magic’s decisive run came early when they made 12 of their first 19 shots.
Alston hit two three-pointers during the Magic’s fast start that put them up 15 and quickly negated the home crowd. J.J. Redick made all three three-point attempts in the first half and ably filled in for Lee, who had surgery on his fractured sinus Thursday and could possibly be out two more weeks.
Andre Miller scored 24 points for the Sixers, who were eliminated in the first round for the second straight season.
Trail Blazers 76 at Rockets 92
Ron Artest scored 27 points, Yao Ming had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Houston reached the second round for the first time since 1997 with the Game 6 victory.
Aaron Brooks scored 13 points and Shane Batter tied a career playoff-high with nine rebounds as the Rockets won for the first time in their last seven first-round series. They lost Game 6s the last two seasons, both to Utah.
Houston moves on to play the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night at the Staples Center. The Lakers won all four meetings in the regular season.
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points and Brandon Roy had 22 for the Blazers, who were making their first playoff appearance since 2003. Portland improved 13 games from last season and reached its highest win total since 1999-00.
The Blazers, the youngest team in the playoffs, lost Game 1 in Portland, then dropped all three games in Houston.