BOSTON—Tom Thibodeau knows what the Celtics can do when the game goes into overtime: He was Doc Rivers’ assistant when they played six OTs in a three-game span against the Bulls in the 2009 playoffs.Kevin Garnett chased down Joakim Noah and tipped the ball away from behind with 14 seconds left in overtime, and the Celtics held on to win 110-105. It was the second consecutive overtime game for the Celtics, the first back-to-back OT games since they played three straight against the Bulls in the first round of the 2009 playoffs.Garnett had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and he also drew an offensive foul on Derrick Rose with Boston nursing a three-point lead in overtime. Ray Allen, who scored 25 points, followed with a dunk on an assist from Pierce to make it a five-point game.After Luol Deng tipped in Kyle Korver’s airball, the Bulls had a chance to cut it to one point when Noah tried to take off on a fast break. But Garnett ran him down and tipped the ball to Glen “Big Baby” Davis; he hit the foul shots to clinch it.Noah had 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls. Deng scored 20 and Rose had 18 points and nine assists for the Bulls who lost their second straight game and fell to 0-2 on the road.They lost to te Knicks at home Thursday night.Boston has won four in a row, and has not lost at home.The Celtics led by as many as 16 points in the third, but the Bulls cut it to six points late in the quarter and took the lead midway through the fourth when C.J. Watson hit a 3-pointer to give the Bulls an 82-81 lead. Boston opened a six-point lead before Deng hit a 3-pointer with 2 ½ minutes left, then he hit another with 1:18 left in regulation to make it 96-96.The Celtics had the ball with 35 seconds left and a chance to take the lead, but Pierce overthrew Allen, and Keith Bogans outran Allen to the loose ball, diving to the court and calling a timeout before he rolled out of bounds.That gave the Bulkls the ball with 23.3 seconds left. Rose dribbled the clock down before trying to drive against Rondo, but the Celtics point guard went low and knocked the ball away; it bounced to Noah, but he couldn’t gain control before the buzzer sounded.Rondo scored 10 points with 11 assists – below his record-setting average of more than 16 in the first five games. Rivers said Rondo had a foot injury that he was monitoring; the trainer had said Friday morning that Rondo would not be able to play.The crowd gave Thibodeau a warm welcome back, but the biggest cheer was for Brian Scalabrine, who spent five years in Boston and became a fan favorite as a bench player on the ’08 champions.In fact, a video of Scalabrine’s scoring and Thibodeau’s coaching from their Boston days got a louder reaction than the later one commemorating Pierce’s 20,000th point as a Celtic. The other Boston players applauded Pierce, who remained on the bench and nodded.

NOTES—The crowd gave a big cheer when the scoreboard showed the Miami Heat losing in the fourth quarter to the New Orleans Hornets.Get used to that, Miami will be the most hated team in the NBA all season….Davis drew two more charging fouls in the first half, giving him 11 for the season. The Celtics had 13 as a team coming into the game, compared to five for opponents…..Shaquille O’Neal did not play for the third straight game because of a bruised right knee. Rivers said O’Neal was questionable for the road trip to Oklahoma City, Dallas, Miami and Memphis…..Boston’s Semih Erden and the Bulls Omer Asik, teammates on the Turkish national team, matched up in the low post in the first half.

Tony Douglas scored a career-high 30 points, and New York made 16 of 24 3-point attempts in a 120-112 victory over the Bulls on Thursday.It was an outstanding shooting display for the Knicks after they hit just 29.1 percent over the first three games.Leading the charge was Douglas, who made 5 of 9 from long range.Raymond Felton was 4 of 6 from long range and finished with 20 points and 10 assists, while Amar’e Stoudemire added 14 points and eight rebounds. The Knicks forced 20 turnovers and got a reprieve after a dramatic first week.Besides close losses to Boston and Portland after taking the opener from Toronto, they had to postpone Tuesday’s home game against Orlando because of an asbestos scare at Madison Square Garden.They overcame another big effort from Derrick Rose, who scored 24 points and had 14 assists, but he sat out the final 9:31. That didn’t sit well with fans who chanted “We want Rose!” in the closing minutes as the Bulls made one final push.Kyle Korver finished with 18 points and Luol Deng scored 17 after pouring in a career-high 40 in a win over Portland on Monday. But thye Bulls simply couldn’t stop New York’s shooters.The Bulls were trailing by 17 points before making a run late in the third, cutting it to 10 on a 3-pointer by Deng with 28 seconds left, They were within 95-87 after a 3 by Korver early in the fourth. The Knicks responded by scoring 10 straight points with Ronny Turiaf’s three-point play on a dunk with 9:31 left capping that spurt.That’s when Rose and Deng headed to the sideline and joined Joakim Noah, who did not play at all in the fourth quarter. Fans made it clear who they wanted on the court, but coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t budge, sticking with a group that chipped away but ultimately came up short.Rose was not available for comment afterward, but Deng said it was the right decision to make.

NOTES—Rose apologized for missing a scheduled taping of CBS’ The Good Wife in New York on Tuesday. He was scheduled to fly in for the day, but he said he overslept after the Bulls played Portland the previous night. “I’m happy it’s out of the way,” Rose said. “I talked to the producer today, just apologized to him. He said that he felt that it really wasn’t anything that big. … I’m not that type of guy where I’ll try to big-time anyone or anything. It’s not in my character as a person and I’m sorry I did it.” ….Thibodeau wasn’t about to wax nostalgic over going against former boss Doc Rivers when the Bulls visit Boston on Friday. “I’m not really thinking about Boston right now,” he said. Thibodeau spent three seasons as an assistant in Boston before taking the Bulls’ job in the offseason…..This was the Knicks’ first game on TNT since Nov. 29, 2007, when they got crushed 104-59 by Boston.

Rookie Bradley Mills scored his first NHL goal with 3:51 left in the third period to snap a tie, and the team with the NHL’s worst record,the New Jersey Devils got past the Blackhawks 5-3 on Wednesday.Devils goalie Martin Brodeur left the game in the second period with a bruised his right elbow. X-rays were negative.With New Jersey leading 2-0 at 5:27 of the second period, the stick of Troy Brouwer appeared to hit the area around Brodeur’s blocker after he made a save on Patrick Kane.Brodeur removed the blocker, shook his arm and rotated his wrist as the trainer attended to him.Play then resumed, but Brodeur skated off the ice 21 seconds later following a stoppage in play. Brodeur finished with eight saves. He was replaced by Johan Hedberg, who stopped 21 of 24 shots.The Devils entered the game with seven points and moved out of last place in the league with the win. New Jersey played the final game of a six-game road trip, finishing 2-4-0.Mills, playing in his third NHL game for the injury-depleted Devils, put New Jersey ahead 3-2 when his attempt from the right side of the net struck the skate of Marty Turco and deflected in. Turco stopped 19 shots.Jamie Langenbrunner added an empty-net goal with 50 seconds left to make it 4-2. It stood up as the game-winner when Viktor Stalberg scored 16 seconds later to cut it to 4-3.New Jersey’s Andy Greene added another empty-netter with eight seconds left to complete the scoring.Jason Arnott and Travis Zajac also scored for the Devils, who ended a two-game losing streak and won for only the second time in seven games.Brian Campbell and Fernando Pisani each scored their first goals of the season for the Hawks, who dropped their second straight.The Devils played their second game without star forward Zach Parise, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn meniscus and is expected to miss three months.Entering the game, the Devils’ injury list included seven players. Besides Parise, three others — forwards Jacob Josefson and Brian Rolston, and defenseman Mark Fraser — are recovering from surgery.Arnott scored the only goal in the first period at 15:31. Dainius Zubrus forced Campbell to turn the puck over behind the net and Patrik Elias sent it quickly to Arnott, who beat Turco from the slot.Zajac made it 2-0 at 4:14 of the second, capitalizing on another turnover.Duncan Keith couldn’t control the puck at the low edge of the left circle. The puck popped out to Zajac, who whipped in a shot from in front.Campbell cut it to 2-1 with 3:58 left in the second. His centering pass from the left corner was intended for Pisani, but deflected past Hedberg off the stick of New Jersey defenseman Colin White.Pisani tied it at 2 on a power play at 3:42 of the third period.After Hedberg made a pad save on Stalberg’s shot, Pisani tucked the rebound just inside the right post.

NOTES—Marty Hossa missed his fourth game with a shoulder injury. He’s expected to miss another week…..Dave Bolland missed his third game with an upper-body injury. … Also out for New Jersey: D Matthew Corrente (hand), D Anton Volchenkov (stiff neck) and D Bryce Salvador (concussion).

ARLINGTON—The prize that eluded Willie and Barry at long last belongs to the San Francisco Giants, thanks to a band of self-described castoffs and misfits and their shaggy-haired ace.Tim Lincecum, Edgar Renteria and the Giants won the World Series on Monday night, beating the Texas Rangers 3-1 in a tense Game 5 and taking the trophy home to the city by the Bay for the first time. It was an overdue victory — the Giants last wore the crown in 1954, four years before they moved West. So much for a franchise that never quite got it done in October despite the likes of baseball giants Willie Mays, Barry Bonds and Juan Marichal. It’s November, and now new stars stand tall in San Francisco. “This buried a lot of bones — ’62, ’89, 2002,” Giants general manager Brian Sabean said, ticking off losing Series appearances. “This group deserved it, faithful from the beginning. We’re proud and humbled by the achievement.” Lincecum outdueled Cliff Lee in an every-pitch-matters matchup that was scoreless until Renteria earned the Series MVP award by hitting a stunning three-run homer with two outs in the seventh inning. Nelson Cruz homered in the bottom half, but Lincecum returned to his wicked self and preserved the lead.Lincecum won this game of Texas Hold ’em, beating Lee for the second time in a week. The two-time NL Cy Young winner gave up three hits over eight innings and struck out 10.Brian Wilson closed for a save, completing a surprising romp through the postseason for a pitching-rich team that waited until the final day to clinch a playoff spot. Manager Bruce Bochy enjoys calling his Giants a ragtag bunch. Maybe Renteria, Cody Ross, Aubrey Huff and Freddy Sanchez fit that description. Cut loose by other clubs this season and before, they all wound up in San Francisco. But the foundation of this team — for now, for the foreseeable future – is totally home grown, built on a deep, talented and young rotation, a rookie catcher named Buster Posey with huge star potential and their bearded closer. “They did all right,” Bochy said. “I couldn’t be prouder of a group. They played with heart and determination. They weren’t going to be denied. My staff, they accepted their roles and had only one mission.” Renteria reprised his role of postseason star. His 11th-inning single ended Game 7 of the 1997 World Series and lifted Florida over Cleveland. Forget that he made the last out in the 2004 Series that finished Boston’s sweep of St. Louis — this journeyman’s path led to another title, helped by his go-ahead home run in Game 2. “It was a tough year for me,” the oft-injured shortstop said. “I told myself to keep working hard and keep in shape because something is going to be good this year.” A team seemingly free of egos did everything right to take the lead. Ross, the surprising MVP of the NL Championship Series, stayed square and hit a leadoff single and Juan Uribe followed with another hit up the middle.That put a runner at second base for the first time in the game and brought up Huff, who led the Giants in home runs this year. So what did he do? He expertly put down the first sacrifice bunt of his career.Lee struck out Pat Burrell to keep the runners put, but Ross began hopping home as soon as Renteria connected, sending a drive that kept sailing and landed over the left-center field wall.And just like that, all the Giants’ past troubles seemed like ancient history.Bonds, Mays and several other former San Francisco stars are still a part of the Giants family.Bonds got a hallowed home-run record, but questions persist about alleged steroids use. He visited the Giants clubhouse during the Series and got a big hand from fans when he took his seat at AT&T Park.His godfather, the 79-year-old Mays, was supposed to throw out the ceremonial first ball but was absent because of illness.The Giants won their previous title when they played in New York at the Polo Grounds. That’s where Mays raced back for perhaps the most famous catch of all time.They moved West in 1958 and had tried ever since to escape a sort of big league Alcatraz – the place where teams get stuck for decades as also-rans. The Red Sox and White Sox got free, not so the Cubs and Indians.So clang the cable car bells. Loudly, too. Baseball’s best play in the Bay.Exactly when these Giants turned into world beaters is hard to say. Trailing San Diego by 7½ games in the NL West on July 4, they meandered in the wild-card race until the stretch run, winning the division and finishing 92-70.Come the playoffs, they became dangerous. Any well-armed team is. Start with Matt Cain – three postseason starts, a 0.00 ERA. Throw in Lincecum, the two-time Cy Young winner. Add Madison Bumgarner, the 21-year-old rookie who helped blank Texas in Game 4.”This doesn’t make sense. You don’t realize it. It’s something that’s surreal. But that’s what we are, World Series champs,” Cain said. San Francisco posted a trio of one-run wins in the opening round that sent Atlanta manager Bobby Cox into retirement, then stopped the two-time defending NL champion Phillies in the championship series. Those wins, like this came on the road.In the Year of the Pitcher, the World Series proved the oldest adage in the game: Good pitching stops good hitting, every time. Lincecum and the team with the best ERA in the big leagues completely shut down Josh Hamilton and the club with the majors’ top batting average.Texas hit just .190 in the five games and was outscored 29-12. “They beat us soundly,” manager Ron Washington said. “They deserve it.” Texas became the latest Series newcomer to make a quick exit. Houston (2005) and Colorado (2007) got swept in their first appearances, Tampa Bay (2008) stuck around for just five games. The AL champion Rangers became the first team since 1966 to get shut out twice in a World Series, with big hitters Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero and Cruz left taking half-swings or flailing wildly.The Rangers’ franchise wrapped up its 50th season overall, in good hands with Nolan Ryan as president and part-owner. If only Big Tex could teach his team to hit, too.By the final out, Ryan sat there glumly. The Giants won their sixth title overall, joining the likes of Christy Mathewson, Mel Ott and John McGraw as champs, and tying them for third with the Red Sox behind the Yankees (27) and Cardinals (10). They also helped ease the gloating that blew from across the Bay, where the Oakland Athletics won three straight crowns in the mid-1970s and swept the Giants in the earthquake-interrupted 1989 Series.San Francisco had come close before. Future Hall of Famers Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda, Mays and Marichal lost to the Yankees 1-0 in Game 7 in 1962. In 2002, Bonds & Co. led the Angels 5-0 in the seventh inning of Game 6 before letting that lead and Game 7 slip away. Many years ago, one swing of the bat prompted a call that resonates throughout Giants history and beyond.”The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!” announcer Russ Hodges shouted over and over after Bobby Thomson launched “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World” in 1951.Time to redo that cry: The Giants win the Series! The Giants win the Series! The Giants win the Series! Back on regular rest, Lee and Lincecum were sharper than ever. Put it this way: Even a 1-0 count on a Rangers hitter got some Texas fans cheering.Long gone were their struggles in the opener, won by San Francisco 11-7. These were aces at their best.Renteria went 7 for 17 (.412) with a Series-leading six RBI. … At 2 hours, 32 minutes, it was the fastest Series game since Game 4 in 1992 between Toronto and Atlanta… Burrell was 0 for 13 with 11 strikeouts in the Series.

Luol Deng might lead the NBA in scoring if the Bulls played the Trail Blazers more often.Deng scored a career-high 40 points to lead the Bulls to a 110-98 victory over Portland on Monday night. Deng’s previous career best of 38 points, on March 26, 2007, also came against the Trail Blazers.Deng scored 16 points in the first and third quarters and shot 14-of-19 from the floor in the game. He passed his previous career high a 3-pointer from the corner with 5:48 to play. The shot put the Bulls up 101-84.Derrick Rose, who entered the game as the NBA’s leading scorer, added 16 points and 13 assists for Chicago (2-1). The assist total matched his previous career high set against Utah last March.The Blazers entered the game 3-0, with all three of their victories coming as a result of fourth-quarter comebacks. Portland outscored opponents 85-49 in the final quarters of its first three games, but were unable to mount a sustained rally against the Bulls.Portland climbed out of a nine-point hole with a 17-3 run to finish its game in New York on Friday night. This time, reserves Dante Cunningham and Armon Johnson scored on layups on back-to-back possessions to cut the lead to nine with 3:51 to play.Was another rally in the offing? Not this time. Kyle Korver’s 3-pointer with 3:01 to play put the Bulls up 105-92 and the Blazers weren’t able to get closer than 12 points after that.LaMarcus Aldridge scored a season-high 33 points for Portland (3-1), almost single-handedly keeping the Blazers in the game through three quarters. Aldridge was originally drafted by the Bulls in 2006 but was traded the same day in a deal that sent fellow draftee Tyrus Thomas to Chicago.Aldridge surpassed his previous season best of 20 points in the first half, during which he scored 22 points.Brandon Roy added 17 points for the Blazers on 4-of-12 shooting.Deng scored 16 points in the first quarter, much of it coming in transition, where Bulls outscored the Blazers 12-0 and built a 32-21 lead.The Blazers entered the game as the NBA’s top three-point shooting team, but went 0-for-3 from there in the opening period and 0-of-14 in the game.Joakim Noah, who entered the game as the NBA’s top rebounder in the season’s early going, had 10 points and 10 rebounds in 42 minutes, but this night belonged to Deng.

NOTES—The Bulls held a moment of silence for former Blazers player and assistant coach Maurice Lucas, who passed away Sunday night after a battle with bladder cancer…..Tom Thibodeau said injured forward Carlos Boozer is expected to have the cast removed from his broken right hand on Tuesday. Boozer injured the hand in a fall at his apartment on Oct. 2. A timetable has not yet been established for his return to the court…..Rose was averaging 33.5 points in the first two contests. The last pure point guard to lead the league in scoring was Nate Archibald, who averaged 34.0 points per game for the Kansas City-Omaha Kings in the 1972-73 season.