Derrick Rose rejected Rajon Rondo's potential game-winner with less than ten seconds left to help the Bulls beat the Celtics 128-127 in three overtimes to force Game 7.

John Salmons led Chicago with 35 points and 6 rebounds, Brad Miller posted 23 points and 10 boards, and Rose added 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in the win.

After rejecting Rondo's shot, Rose streaked down the court and was fouled by Brian Scalabrine. He missed both free throws, and Rondo took the rebound to half court before launching a prayer off the left side of the backboard.

The Bulls shot 50% from the field, while holding the defending-champions to 43% at the United Center.

Ray Allen exploded for the Celtics, scoring 51 points on 18-for-32 shooting, including a playoff-record nine three-pointers.

Kendrick Perkins had 12 points and 12 rebounds, Paul Pierce tallied 22 points and 9 boards, and Rondo stuffed the stat sheet with 8 points, 9 rebounds and 19 assists.

As would be expected in a triple-overtime game, a number of players fouled out.

The Bulls lost Ben Gordon, while the Celtics lost Pierce, Perkins and Glen Davis to fouls.

Miller made a driving layup for Chicago with thirty seconds left, after drilling a wide-open three-pointer on the previous possession, to force the first extra period.

Davis and Salmons then traded jump shots to extend the game to the second overtime.

Allen drilled yet another clutch three to send the game into a third overtime, where Chicago pulled out the win.

Rajon Rondo and Kirk Hinrich tussled near the end of the first quarter in Game 6.

Rondo and Hinrich were tangled up as the latter was attempting to screen out the former on a rebound.  The two were interlocked and Rondo swung Hinrich into the scorer's table.  Hinrich then reacted demonstratively to Rondo, which brought both team's coaches and players to intervene.

Rondo received a flagrant foul, category one, while Hinrich was given a technical foul.

Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls and O.J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies were unanimous selections to the 2008-09 NBA All-Rookie First Team, the NBA announced today.

Rounding out the NBA All-Rookie First Team are Oklahoma City?s Russell Westbrook (53 points), New Jersey?s Brook Lopez (49 points) and Miami?s Michael Beasley (44 points).

Rose led rookies in assists (6.3 apg), was second in scoring (16.8 ppg), and averaged 3.9 rebounds.

The NBA All-Rookie Second Team consists of the Los Angeles Clippers? Eric Gordon (39 points), Minnesota?s Kevin Love (34 points), Miami?s Mario Chalmers (29 points), Memphis? Marc Gasol (25 points), Charlotte?s D.J. Augustin (tie, 17 points) and Portland?s Rudy Fernandez (tie, 17 points).

The NBA elected not to punish Rajon Rondo for his foul on Brad Miller near the end of Game 5 on Tuesday.

?We felt Rondo was making a basketball play and going for the ball after a blown defensive assignment by the Celtic team,? NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson said. ?In terms of the criteria that we use to evaluate a flagrant foul penalty one, generally we like to consider whether or not there was a windup, an appropriate level of impact and a follow-through. And with this foul, we didn?t see a windup, nor did he follow through. So for that reason we?re not going to upgrade this foul to a flagrant foul penalty one.?

The NBA league office will not upgrade the foul that Rajon Rondo committed against Brad Miller in the final seconds of game 5 between the Bulls and Celtics.

The ruling means that Rondo will not incur any further penalties and will be available for game 6 Thursday night.

Boston leads the series 3-2.

The Bulls nearly held guard Ben Gordon out of Game 5 against the Celtics on Tuesday night, but allowed him to play through a hamstring strain.

"We talked about it, but this isn't something that in 48 hours he's going to feel that much better," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "It's going to take time. And it can get worse. It's a moderate strain and I know he's in pain. But he'll get more rest [Wednesday]. We'll just monitor it as we go."

Gordon scored 26 points on 6-for-21 shooting in 51 minutes of action during the overtime loss to Boston.

"I didn't feel great because I couldn't accelerate or push off the way I wanted to," Gordon said on Wednesday during practice. "But there's no way I'm not going to play [in Game 6]. I'm going to continue to get treatment and stay off it until then."

NBA vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson was busy on Wednesday reviewing two questionable calls from Tuesday night's playoff action.

"Both plays are under review," league spokesman Tim Frank said, according to ESPN.com.

The plays involved Orlando's Dwight Howard elbowing Philadelphia's Samuel Dalembert, and Boston's Rajon Rondo hitting Chicago's Brad Miller in the mouth on a foul.

If the NBA adheres strictly to its rule book, it appears as though Howard is more at risk than Rondo to be suspended for their respective Game 6s.

The defending-champion Celtics escaped Game 5 with an overtime win over the Bulls thanks to some heroics from Paul Pierce.

"It got real physical out there, as you could see," said Pierce. "But this team has a never-die attitude. I mean, we've been down in a lot of games where we've shown we can come back. And that's just one of the characteristics of this team. We never look up and say, 'This game is over,' regardless of the time, the score."

Pierce hit three jumpers in a little more than a minute at the end of the extra period to seal Boston's victory over Chicago.

Rajon Rondo committed a hard foul on Brad Miller at the end of overtime, which sent him to the line but caused controversy as a potential flagrant foul.

"You have to go for the basketball and Rondo didn't come near the basketball," Vinny Del Negro said. "He came right across his face. I thought it was a flagrant. I agree that it is a playoff foul, but you still have to call it."

"He had to get stitches. I think that pretty much tells it all right there," said Ben Gordon. "That wasn't a flagrant foul? I saw him spitting blood out on the court. To me, that's not a basketball play."

Miller likely cut his lip when he came down on Paul Pierce's elbow.

"I'm a little guy so I had to go for the hard foul," Rondo said. "I think I hit him in the head, but I went through the arm first trying to get to the ball."

In a series with many subplots, the relationship between Doc Rivers and Vinny Del Negro is yet another one.  Rivers and Del Negro became friends as teammates with the Spurs and the former has become a mentor to the latter as a head coach.

After a tightly contested overtime game on Tuesday, Rivers ran into Del Negro following his interview session after the game and the two embraced.

"Vinny and I are really close friends," Rivers said before Game 2. "That's difficult. We talk a lot. It's one of those things where you don't really enjoy a series like this because it's someone you really care about."