A win in Game 4 and the Celtics would be entering tomorrow's home game with a chance to wrap things up and get some much-needed rest. But after the one that got away, the NBA's defending champs are now kicking themselves about the unexpected dogfight they are in that will have them back in Chicago Thursday. Reality for second-seeded Bos ton is a tied series against seventh-seeded Chicago.
"That's how it goes," Celtics guard Rajon Rondo said. "I feel the series should be over by now. It's 2-2. We're in a fight. Give them a lot of credit. They stuck with it. They executed down the stretch very well. And we didn't."
Said Celtics forward Paul Pierce: "One or two plays and the series would be over. We gave ourselves an opportunity. But now the series is 2-2 and we have to move forward."
Moving forward from this loss won't be easy. What makes it tougher to get over for Pierce is that he was involved in two key plays that helped keep the Bulls' season very much alive.
With 18.9 seconds left in the first OT, the Celtics had a 107-106 lead with Pierce on the line shooting two free throws that could have helped seal the victory. As Pierce approached the charity stripe, Boston fans probably couldn't help but think how he missed a crucial free throw late in regulation during a 105-103 overtime loss in Game 1.
Back to Game 4, Pierce easily nailed the first free throw and was in position to give the Celtics a solid 109-106 lead. At that point, things were looking good for Boston as he had hit all seven of his previous free throws. The Celtics' captain, however, missed the second, leaving Chicago down 2 and with some hope.
"It was disappointing, but the thing is not to get down on it," said Pierce, who had 29 points on 9-of-24 shooting with six turnovers in 52 minutes. "I was disappointed about the way I played. We cannot let it carry over to the next game. We have to move on from it."
