Ray Allen landed the final blow in a memorable duel with Ben Gordon on Monday night, shooting the Boston Celtics back into their first-round series.
Allen made a tiebreaking three-pointer with 2 seconds left and finished with 30 points, leading the Celtics to a 118-115 win over the Chicago Bulls.
Gordon nearly carried Chicago to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. He scored with 12.3 seconds left to tie it, the final hoop of his playoff career-high 42 points.
PHOTO: EPA
But then Boston set up a play for Allen, who took a pass from Rajon Rondo and connected from the right side.
Allen scored 28 points after getting some advice from coach Doc Rivers at halftime.
“Doc said going into the half: ‘Be aggressive, but let it come to you,”’ Allen said. “I never think I’m not in my rhythm. It can be a grind as a shooter. As a scorer you’re always trying to find something.”
Allen and Gordon each had several clutch baskets in the second half as they battled for control of the game. After Tyrus Thomas missed a shot from midcourt as time expired, Allen headed for his bench where injured Kevin Garnett delivered a couple of congratulatory slaps — to his head and chest.
“Team-wise we didn’t have anything great going,” Allen said. “But I think in the third quarter once we started moving the ball, everything started falling in place.”
Gordon said Allen, who had four points in Saturday’s loss, made the difference.
“If he doesn’t have the game he had tonight, we are probably going to win that game,” he said. “The main point of emphasis for them was to come out and get Ray open shots.”
“We would have loved to win this game and go up 2-0 but we got a split and that’s tough to do on the defending world champions,” Gordon said.
SPURS 105, MAVERICKS 84
At San Antonio, Texas, Tony Parker had 38 points and eight assists to help the Spurs beat the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Dallas was trying to send the Spurs to consecutive home playoff losses for the first time since 2002, but couldn’t contain San Antonio’s speedy point guard. Parker had 27 points in the first half.
“I was just trying to be aggressive,” Parker said. “It was a must win for us. Big game.”
Jason Terry finished with 16 points for Dallas, which suffered one of the worst losses in the playoff rivalry.
“The head of the snake, Tony Parker. We got to do something to contain him,” Terry said.
Parker fell three points off his playoff high of 41, set last year in the first round against Phoenix.
Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd had 14 points apiece for Dallas.
Tim Duncan had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Drew Gooden had 13 for the Spurs.
Dallas shot just 39 percent from the field. The Spurs also dominated on the glass, outrebounding Dallas 44-28.game 3 is tomorrow in dallas.
The Mavericks have been a favorite target all season for Parker, who averaged more than 31 points and seven assists in four regular-season meetings this season.
He had 24 points in game one but the Mavs kept him under control by using different defenders, including the pesky Jose Barea.
The Mavericks beat the Spurs 105-97 on Saturday night for their first road playoff victory in three years.
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