Last night after the Chicago Bulls lost Game 2 to the Boston Celtics on a last second three point by Ray Allen, a twitter friend “tweeted” that it was the best basketball game he had watched all season long. I would have to agree, and much of that would be due to the clutch shooting performances of Ray Allen of the Celtics and Ben Gordon of the Chicago Bulls. I’ve got to give Ray Allen credit for having the ‘big balls’ down the stretch with that final quick release jumper over the outstretched arm of Joakim Noah. The only thing that would have made the finish better is if the Bulls had one last timeout with 2 seconds left and set a play for Ben Gordon to get a buzzer beater instead of the half court heave from Tyrus Thomas.
As good as Ray Ray played though, I think we need to give Ben Gordon some praise after that heart breaker for the insane shooting performance he had to even give the Bulls the shot to win it. His shooting line on the night was: 42 points, 14-24 FG, 6-11 3PT, and 8-9 FT. Talk about getting hot, Ben Gordon last night was on fire like i’ve seen very few players shoot in the playoffs. Here is what others are saying about Gordon’s performance:
Kelly Dwyer at Ball Don’t Lie – “Buckets were not a problem for the Bulls. Ben Gordon went off for 42 points, and most of the team did a pretty solid job of getting to the line and forcing the C’s to keep up. You knew Gordon would bounce back, he works too hard on his game not for things to turn around, and he was brilliant on Monday. That man is an astonishing scorer at times.”
Blog-a-Bull – “Especially tonight with Ben Gordon. Who, if the Bulls won, would’ve had the entire post dedicated to his brilliance. This is a team that has no plan, no structure, no plays, no offense. Though that breakdown into one-on-one play happens more often in the playoffs anyway, it’s always there on the Bulls. So guys like Gordon are vital, and he carried the Bulls on offense all game. I’m not sure how Doug Collins could keep calling Ben Gordon ‘streaky’ when he both kept them from getting KO’d early in the first and scored nearly every Bulls point down the stretch. That’s not streaky, it’s being damned good, and believing that the next shot is always going in. Without Gordon tonight this game is out of reach, not a heartbreaker.”
Pippen Ain’t Easy – “For the Bulls, Ben Gordon was out there playing Sega. He had 42 points and made so many huge baskets.”
Sports of Boston – “The University of Connecticut had to have been proud Monday night. Two of the school’s best all-time players, Ray Allen and Ben Gordon, dueled in an epic Game 2. Fortunately, Allen (30 points, 9-18 shooting) got the last laugh, hitting a huge three-pointer with two seconds left to lift the Celtics to a 118-115 win. Ben Gordon was every bit as clutch as Ray, scoring a playoff career-high 42 points (6-11 from 3PT), including a tying jumpshot with just 12 seconds remaining. That shot set the stage for Allen with the game tied 115-115.”
The No Look Pass – “But, yeah, Ben Gordon scored the last 12 Bulls points. On the other side, Ray Allen made four threes (including the game-winner) in the 4th quarter alone. It was like Dominique/Bird, LeBron/Agent Zero, or even LeBron/Pierce all over again…Allen himself finished with 30 points (after 2 in the first half)… and they all overcame Ben Gordon’s 42-point monster game (the guy just wouldn’t miss). And, man, Ray Allen has become so clutch, it’s ridiculous.”
