Allen’s last-gasp three-pointer moves Celtics past Bulls

BOSTON, (Reuters) – Ray Allen sank a  three-pointer with two seconds left as the Boston Celtics beat  the Chicago Bulls 118-115 to even their Eastern Conference  playoff series at 1-1 on Monday.

Allen, who had 30 points, broke a 115-115 tie with his  second three-pointer in 23 seconds. The two shots, sandwiched  around a two-pointer by Chicago’s Ben Gordon, prevented another  letdown by the defending champion Celtics, who dropped a  105-103 overtime decision to the Bulls on Saturday.

“For that split second I was open,” Allen told reporters. Gordon scored a career playoff high 42 points, his last  field goal tying the score with 12 seconds to play.

“I was just in a zone — every time I got the basketball I  tried to get a good shot,” Gordon said. Also on Monday, the San Antonio Spurs routed the Dallas  Mavericks 105-84 behind Tony Parker’s 38 points to even their  Western Conference series at 1-1.

In Boston, the Celtics came back from a 109-104 deficit  with three minutes to play as Allen scored 28 points in the  second half.
A three-pointer by the Celtics guard put Boston ahead  115-113 with 25 seconds to go before Gordon responded for  Chicago, setting the stage for the winner.

Boston led 61-58 at the half, but Allen said only Rajon  Rondo, who had 15 points at intermission, was playing well.
“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.”

Glen Davis added a career-best 26 points for second-seeded  Boston and Rondo, who helped set up Allen for the game-winner,  added 19 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds.

John Salmons had 17 for Chicago and Brad Miller added 16. Derrick Rose, who scored 36 points in Saturday’s win, was  held to 10.
“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 added.

The Bulls host the next two games with play tomorrow and  Sunday.
In San Antonio, the Spurs stormed to an 11-point  first-quarter lead as Parker scored as many points as the  Mavericks (19).

Tim Duncan added 13 points, 11 rebounds and five assists  with Drew Gooden also scoring 13. Jason Terry topped the  Mavericks with 16 and Dirk Nowitzki added 14. Josh Howard had  only seven. Game three is at Dallas tomorrow.