Chicago 105, Boston 103 (Overtime)

Between his drive past Sasha Vujacic to cap the incredible Game 4 comeback and his seven three-pointers in the Finals clincher a few nights later, it's easy to forget what Ray Allen's postseason legacy last year might have been.

[recap] [box score]

After a decent series against Atlanta, Allen shot 20-for-61 in seven games against Cleveland. Had Paul Pierce not pulled the Celtics through with 41 points in his duel with LeBron James in Game 7 of that series, there might not have been any title, and the talk heading into this postseason would have focused on Allen looking to atone for his dismal shooting last May.

With Kevin Garnett probably out for the entirety of the postseason, Boston simply cannot afford a similarly prolonged slump during these playoffs. If the Celtics want to make it out of even the first round against Chicago, then Allen can't put up anything close to the 1-for-12 he had this afternoon. Allen's shots weren't even close today.

In fact, the only one of his eleven misses that looked good today was the last one, an 18-foot fadeaway from the right baseline that was just a touch long. It would have sent the game into double overtime, and you have to wonder about the play drawn up by the Celtics coaching staff. Inbounding underneath the basket with less than four seconds left, option one was Leon Powe cutting to the basket, and option two was Allen coming off a screen. There was no option three, as far as I could tell. Kendrick Perkins was the safety release, for Rajon Rondo inbounding the ball, and Pierce -- Paul Pierce! -- basically just stood at the top of the key.

The decision to leave Pierce completely out of the play -- he wasn't a "decoy" because in order to be a decoy, you need to at least make the defense respond to you -- is all the more puzzling considering that over the last eight minutes or so of game time, Boston apparently decided that the only way they were winning this game was on Pierce's back, despite Pierce being relatively cold from the field. Without Garnett, defenses can key on Pierce more, and Boston is going to have to get comfortable going to other sources of offense.

Heck, Chicago did it. After rookie point guard Derrick Rose dazzled for much of the game and sharpshooter Ben Gordon awoke for the fourth quarter, it was Tyrus Thomas who ultimately provided the biggest baskets. Thomas hit three jumpers of at least 14 feet in the overtime, missing a fourth that would have put the game away with about ten seconds left.

The Celtics had options besides Pierce, even with Allen struggling. Rondo was nearly as good as Rose all afternoon, and even Kendrick Perkins was 7-for-11, overpowering Joakim Noah inside. Is it easy to call Perk's number down the stretch? Does his name easily come to mind as the guy to get the ball to? No and no. But Boston is not long for these playoffs if Pierce has to win every game on his own.

Despite all of this, Boston had a real shot to win this game, if any one of a number of little things had gone their way:

-After Rondo put Boston up by one with 22 seconds left, Boston forced Gordon into an incredibly difficult shot. Rondo had a bead on the loose ball rebound, but couldn't corral it, and Chicago eventually scored on the possession. Coming up with that ball -- on a play that reminded me of Pierce's diving recovery and timeout against Cleveland in the closing seconds of Game 7 last year -- would have put Boston in a commanding position.

-On the next trip down, Pierce dribbled right off of a screen and went up for the game-winner from about 17 feet, only to have Noah clobber him, an incredibly silly and aggressive foul at that stage. Pierce drained the first free throw to tie it, but got unlucky on the second, the ball going in and out. There were 2.6 seconds left and the Bulls had no timeouts remaining and therefore couldn't have advanced the ball to midcourt. A make would have almost certainly equaled victory.

-After Glen Davis put Boston up two to start the overtime, Gordon came up well short on a jumper, and Perkins fired a long pass to Allen breaking toward the basket. Instead of a layup or at least a trip to the free throw line, Allen lost the ball out of bounds. There was plenty of time left, but a two-possession lead in overtime is huge, both psychologically and on the scoreboard.

-Thomas hit a jumper after that turnover, and then Rose picked up his fifth foul on the next Boston possession. After a Pierce miss and a John Salmons bucket that gave Chicago the lead, Pierce ran a pick-and-roll with Rondo, leaving Rose matched up with Pierce. Pierce worked his way into the lane and pumpfaked, getting Rose in the air. This is a classic Pierce move, and all he needed to do was go up for the shot, leaning in ever so slightly, and Rose would have clobbered him, his sixth and disqualifying foul. Instead, Pierce passed to Perkins. Perk made the layup, but it might have been a different outcome if Rose had had to sit. Rose didn't go crazy in the last few minutes, but Thomas was able to get open for his jumpers in large part because the Celtics' defense was so focused on Rose.

-Rose eventually did foul out, on Boston's last possession. He got whistled for grabbing Rondo on a nifty misdirection play that Doc drew up. Chicago had one to give (Pierce would later drive and have it knocked out of bounds, leading to the Allen miss on the inbounds play), but Rose wasn't trying to give it, it was kind of a ticky-tack call, and Rondo had an open layup. Would have rather had the bucket there.

Anyway, Monday at 7 p.m. Eastern on TNT becomes a must-win. Objectives: Find a way to slow Rose; get Ray going; and play Powe more and Davis less (wishful thinking).