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• When people play like Joakim Noah -- with constant energy, but not all that much polish -- the idea is that the constant effort pays off. Boy did it ever. He works a thousand straight plays trying to create havoc however he can, and comes up with not just a huge steal, but then outraces Paul Pierce to the hoop (the Celtics need an athleticism injection) for a key basket and the ensuing foul, after fouling Paul Pierce out of the game. The free throw was no small feat, either -- that point ended up changing the whole close of the game, and Noah's sometimes a wobbly foul shooter.
• Chicago speaks in unison: Yes, Rajon Rondo touched the ball in the cylinder in the closing minute of the third overtime. Very hard to tell on TV if he really did or not.
  
• Derrick Rose had trouble finishing down the stretch. But he certainly made up for that by blocking Rajon Rondo's most important attempt of the game. Then he did what turned out to be a good thing by accidentally missing his final free throw. Without a timeout, the Celtics had to drive the length of the floor in a little over three seconds, down one, and did not get a good shot off. Somehow it seems that ball should have gone to Ray Allen.
• Ray Allen hit two ridiculous shots in double overtime. Joakim Noah almost blocked the first. And the second was on the move side to side, from 3. I can feel John Hollinger now, brewing up a post about fouling when you're up 3 in the final ten seconds. Then Allen  tacked on a third, over Hinrich, with about two minutes left in the third overtime. After that, however, he didn't get another attempt.
  
• With two minutes left in the second overtime, John Salmons caught the ball on the left wing, guarded by Paul Pierce. He looked into the lane, put the ball on the floor, and made one of the great buckets of the series. This play, however, is a classic example of what a lot of NBA old-timers would consider a travel. He picked up his dribble just inside the 3-point line, while standing on his left foot. Then he took two enormous steps (right foot down, left foot down, elevate, shoot) before finishing over contact. The rulebook says that's a travel. The "two steps after the gather" rule of thumb that referees are instructed to use says it's not. The NBA will tell you that people have always taken two steps while making layups. I'd tell you they haven't always been making it 21 feet without dribbling. Not sure what's right or wrong, but I am sure the rulebook ought not to say just one step.
• Celtics close the most important game of the season, in triple overtime, and the lineup is Rajon Rondo, Brian Scalabrine, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, and Eddie House. Who would have predicted that a year ago? They were without injured Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe. James Posey is a Hornet. And Paul Pierce, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins had all fouled out.
• Vinny Del Negro, you remember when you used to single cover Paul Pierce in his favorite spot with the game on the line? If would have had the decency to do that at the end of regulation, perhaps this game might have ended in time for the nation to see some of the first half of the most important game in recent Trail Blazer and Rocket history. (It really is amazing, though. All Game 6s should be televised somewhere. Couldn't NBATV pick that up?)
• Not only did Brad Miller make four clutch free throws, but he got double redemption by also making that same feeble layup that ended with a Rondo shot to the face in Game 5. What's more, for the game the Bulls were +26 when he was in the game. The second best player from either team in that category was Eddie House, at +11.
• Ben Gordon got into a tizzy when his fifth foul was called, way back in the 48 minutes of warmup called regulation. He kicked something or other (it was a weak call -- as he was more or less shoved into his man) and was given a technical. Ray Allen made the free throw. What would the Celtics have done without that point?

(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler NBAE/Getty Images)