•Not only do SEC replay booths not use HD screens, but they say it's not worth making the switch. Also, that play where Patrick Peterson clearly stayed in bounds? They accidentally DVR'd The Mentalist over it.

•Want to know what makes Sidney Crosby so good? Evgeni Malkin. In the sixth game without the real MVP in the lineup, Sid The Kid extended his point-less streak to five games, and the Pens fell to Boston.

•A four-minute replay review overturned Brad Miller's buzzer-almost-beater, and Denver hung on to top Chicago. Imagine that! The length of the game was extended in order to make the right call, and no one's calling for David Stern's head! You listening, Selig? Of course you're not. You fell asleep halfway through Leno.

•What's Larry Johnson worth? Not moving to the bottom of the waiver wire. No one claimed the, um, expressive RB, and he's free to sign anywhere. Except with the Chiefs. My sources tell me they have no plans of signing him.

•If Mauer, Jeter and Teixeira were hoping their defense would set them apart in the MVP race, well...all three won Gold Gloves. Also, Placido Polanco emerges as a dark horse candidate.

•A judge has blocked North Dakota from changing their nickname from the Fighting Sioux. In these trying times, with two wars being fought, it's just insensitive to name a team the Fighting anythings.

•The Tribune's Rick Morrissey said Joakim Noah would never be a useful player, and promised to eat the column if he was proven wrong. Well...

As it happens, the Celtics didn't need that timeout after all. We'll talk more about it throughout the day, but as you may have heard, the Celtics beat the Bulls last night 109-99 in a Game 7 for the ages. The Bulls made it close in the 4th quarter, but the game never really felt in doubt. As a Chicago sports fan, I'm used to saying it: There's always next year.

Hey lady, have you thought about coaching the Bulls? Can't be any worse than the guy they've got now.

****

Good morning. We're on a mission from God.

The two teams tip off shortly after 8 pm on TNT. There are no other NBA games on the schedule tonight, so the full spotlight is shining where it belongs. The Bulls are knocking at the door to a memorable upset, and they'll need to find a way to slow down Ray Allen to finish the task.

This is your DUAN! post as well as an open thread for the game. If you're watching the fight tonight please comment along right here.

*****

Thanks for joining me here today, I'll be back if anything crazy goes down.

Rajon Rondo took his fight to Kirk Hinrich (again), Paul Pierce got clowned by Joakim Noah, Derrick Rose is Superman (as long as he's not shooting free throws and now after a triple-overtime Game Six victory by the Bulls, the series will culminate in an 8-OT brainsmashing Game 7 on Saturday. (Unless they decide to play more games.) If only this wasn't the first round!

Oh, and Ray Allen scored 51 in a losing effort and is playing some of the best basketball of his whole career, but who cares right? There is (say it with me) NO LOVE LOST between these two teams and it has turned into one of the most dramatic seven-game series ever. (Yes, Simmons was right.) But fortunately, there is a way to make it even more dramatic (and oddly enough, more annoying).

There are rumblings that Kevin Garnett—who has not played a minute in this playoffs—will suit up for Game 7 in Boston. Now these are just rumblings (Danny Ainge is a trickster. Don't believe his lies.) but remember: Willis Reed only had two buckets in "The Willis Reed Game." You don't think Garnett wants to strut into the Garden in his uniform, play three minutes and go down as the hero champion warrior of all time? Book it.

Blazers vs. Rockets - NBA Videos and Highlights

In case you missed it, Miller was driving for the game-winning bucket with two seconds left in overtime, when Rondo reached from behind and non-seductively put his fingers in Miller's mouth. Miller was bleeding and clearly loopy and had to have battle stitches quickly put in his mouth, but went back to free thrown line (80% shooter!) where he promptly missed them both (the second intentionally.) So the Celtics now lead the series 3-2.

Putting aside the question of whether it was a flagrant foul or not (it was), does it bug anyone else that a player would be praised for a smart, clutch foul? Rondo "saved the day" and "did what he had to do" to win the game? I thought playing defense was what you had to do. Rondo basically admitted, "He was bigger than me, so I had to foul him."

Is that the amazing happening?

Bulls vs. Celtics Video Highlights [NBA.com]
Over and above [Boston Globe]
Loss leaves Bulls bloodied and bruised [Yahoo]

The Bulls even managed to win the game in double OT, tying the series up at 2-2. Hopefully that itch will clear up by Game 5.

Boston Celtics/Chicago Bulls Box Score [Yahoo]

The team plopped security behind the bench last night to fend off any Allen-haters that may try to stab or shoot him in the middle of the game. When approached by Boston Globe reporter Marc Spears, Allen became surly:

"Is that what you're going to write about? Is that what you're going to write about?" said Allen, before walking away after being asked about the threats.

Yes, dick!

The threats against Allen in his hometown of Chicago have been going on for quite some time — he also received one when the Celtics traveled to Chicago on March 17th, but Allen missed that trip with a thumb injury. Speculations abound about who could possibly be so infuriated with the Celtics' guard, but the ongoing theory is might have something to do with a bar fight Allen had in 2005 which resulted in one person getting shot in the arm. (Bloodier than blood...)

Tony Allen did play for a little over 8 minutes in last night's trouncing of the Bulls, but was held scoreless. No attempts on his life were reported during the game. The Celtics play the Bulls again at the United Center on Sunday. Watch out for snipers.

Tony Allen Threatened [Boston.com]

The flamboyant Glen Davis is filling in for the "injured" Kevin Garnett, and he is laying it on a little thick with the defeatist bad attitude in this story.

"The way I look at it, there is no pressure because the majority of the country out there are doubting me anyway," Davis said. "Why would you put pressure on yourself if people don't think you can help make it to the championship. I think with Kevin being out and the bigs that we have right now, we have a chip on our shoulder. We're not trying to prove anything but we are trying to let the world know that we're here and we're ready to play. With or without Kevin, we are going to play Celtics basketball."

But what do we know of Glen Davis? The selfsame story informs us he's the childhood friend of Tyrus Thomas, his opponent on the Bulls, and there appear to be posts on websites less credible than this one speculating as to whether the two are on the so-called "down low." Personally, I wonder if this all isn't a distracting sideshow meant to deflect attention from these two unavoidable facts: the two hail from the notoriously corrupt state of Louisiana, and Vinny Del Negro cannot possibly be the name of someone who isn't ethically bankrupt.

The always talkative "sources" tell Peter that the Suns are a disaster—which everyone already knew—and that changes are afoot. He claims that Amare Stoudemire will be traded for pennies on the dollar before next Thursday's deadline (not a stretch), but then buries deep in his story the rumor that coach Terry Porter will be fired and replaced by GM Steve Kerr, because all general managers make great coaches, right?

But he doesn't stop there! Vecsey is also reporting that Bulls GM John Paxson—who apparently can't coach well enough—will resign once the trading deadline passes. (Because you want the incompetent guy wheeling and dealing until the last possible moment?) On this story at least, there is a counter-theory from someone with an actual name—Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who was quoted on Sports Center as saying:

"Pete Vecesy is not a credible enough source to comment on. Two weeks ago he had John being fired, now he has him resigning."

All right then. So will anything this guy says turn out to be true? And is anyone rooting for Jerry Reinsdorf to be vindicated?

BAD KARMA IN VALLEY OF THE SUNS + SOURCES: PAX OUT IN BULLS SHAKEUP [NY Post]

Derrick Rose isn't practicing Monday after needing 10 stitches to close a gash in his arm. The Bulls said Rose suffered the injury when he rolled over onto a knife he was using to carve an apple while in bed.

Rose shouldn't miss any time, but that has to go pretty high up on the exalted list of bizarro athlete injuries. Maybe not as bad as throwing out your back while putting on socks, but it's close.

Rose injured. You gotta hear how. [Chicago Tribune]

Reader Chris Corley comes through with the Williams look; so uncanny you'll say, dadgumit! And here are some other fun Halloween costume ideas (I like Eli Manning as Superman). Also, some NHL-inspired ones.

Have a great night, and remember kids, stay away from downtown Philadelphia!

Drew Gooden Opens '08-'09 Season With A Triple-Double ... In Sex Appeal [The Sporting Blog]

When last we saw them: Finished 33-49, fourth in the Central Division and 11th overall in the East. Which would have been a pretty disappointing finish even if people hadn't been picking them to go to the Finals last season.

Key Arrivals: Derrick Rose, Elton Brown (wait, who?), Roger Powell (double who?), Darius Washington (who squared?)

Key Departures: Chris Duhon (usually he didn't play much anyway), JamesOn Curry (no more public urination!), Shannon Brown

The Good: Derrick Rose. (According to NBA.com, "Many consider Rose to be a 6-3 version of LeBron James." Wait...what? Really?!) Luol Deng signed a six year, $71 million deal to stay in Chicago, which should keep him from being all sulky and distracted like he was last season. Ben Gordon finally resigned (although only for one year), and he's really excited about it (according to his agent, anyway). The core group (Deng, Gordon and Kirk Hinrich) have been together for several years now, and that's supposedly always a good thing (even if it wasn't last year). Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes should be totally integrated into the team now. Vinny Del Negro has assembled a group assistants with actual NBA coaching experience (Del Harris, Bernie Bickerstaff, Bob Ociepka). Benny the Bull's legal problems should be a thing of the past.

The Bad: An extremely crowded backcourt (which includes Rose, Hinrich, Hughes, Gordon, Sefolosha and Washington ) is complimented very noncomplimentary by an herbal tea-thin froncourt (which features two players - Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas - who couldn't develop an offensive game even if a genie gave them three wishes). Del Negro is a rookie head coach who's already being compared, by his own GM no less, to Doug Collins. That is not a good thing in my book. Rose might be their best and most important players, but he's a rookie and it's still unclear whether he'll start or even how big a role he'll play on the team this season. The Bulls used to be a premier defensive club, but they suffered the biggest defensive dropoff in the league last year (7.1 more points allowed per 100 possessions). Currently, they don't have that defensive identity anymore...or any other identity for that matter. Ben Gordon's one-year deal means that, once again, this is a contract year for him, and that's probably going to affect his play and attitude. John Paxson has yet to find a reliable low post scorer, even though that's been the team's biggest and most glaring weakness for the last few years. This means — you guessed it! - the Bulls will yet again live and die (mostly die) by the jump shot.

Fun Facts: The EA NBA Live 09 simulated season predicts they'll finish with 41 wins (a sad fourth in the Eastern Conference) and make the playoffs, losing in first round to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Derrick Rose goes by the nickname "Pooh," an alias invented by his grandmother when he was an infant because, apparently, he was yellow and chubby, just like Winnie-the-Pooh. (Seriously.) Rose has a tattoo on his left bicep of a wizard holding a staff in one hand and a basketball in the other, below which is the word "Poohdini." The Chicago Bulls are actually the third NBA team in Chicago, after the Packers/Zephyrs (now the Washington Wizards) and the Stags (1946–50). The Bulls logo has horns that are tipped with blood; it was designed by noted American sports artist Theodore W. Drake in 1966.

Videotastic extra: I always get a kick out of these Michael Jordan bloopers. Yeah, some of them happened when he was with the Wizards, but he'll always be a Bull...no matter how many other teams he front office manages into the ground.

Another reason we enjoy the hiring is that the Bulls have brought on a guy who looked even dopier in his playing days than Doug Collins. (But Lord, imagine Vinny with a perm mullet.) The most recent picture of Del Negro we've seen is disappointing; gotta schnazz it up, Vinny, if you're gonna coach in the big time.

Our favorite quote from the Chicago Tribune story:

Little is known about his basketball philosophy since he never has coached before. Del Negro interviewed for the Suns' coaching job that Terry Porter landed on Saturday, but failed to make Kerr's list of four finalists.

A ringing endorsement! Don't let them get you down, Vinny.

It has been a whirlwind 365 days for the Bulls, who went from Expected NBA Title Contender to Team That's Firing Its Coach And Missing The Playoffs to Team That's Using Its Supposed Trade Chips Not For Kobe Bryant But Drew Gooden to ... winning the lottery. The choices are local guy Derrick Rose and muscular Michael Beasley; Blog-A-Bull is in favor of Rose.

The Heat will take whoever is left over, and then the Timberwolves, despite their special teddy bear, didn't end up with the top pick. Honestly, we thought Fred Hoiberg was gonna strangle that bear.

We're gonna talk about the Knicks' sixth pick a little later. But Chad Ford already has us very tickled.