Salmons, who scored a team-high 35 points in the Bulls' 128-127 triple-overtime Game 6 win Thursday, averaged 18.8 points in 26 regular-season games with the Bulls -- second only to Ben Gordon's 20.7 ppg.

''For me, these games have been the best Basketball experience I've ever been a part of in my life,'' Salmons said of the series against the Celtics. ''A couple of months ago, being in Sacramento, I never thought I'd be in this position.''

Miller's 23 points and 10 rebounds Thursday were crucial to the win. But Miller's contributions on the court in 27 regular-season games likely have been topped by his role as mentor to Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas.

Game 6 was Miller's 44th playoff game, so the 11-year veteran has postseason perspective. ''We've been past historic,'' he said. ''We're setting a whole new precedent.''

So what does he expect tonight?

''I really don't know,'' Miller said. ''You go up 12 points, and then you're down like seven; these swings are amazing. Guys are just sticking with it and playing literally until the last buzzer sounds in this series.

''But it's on them now. They're the 2 seed, defending champs. We're just going to go play. We did our work to get it tied up. Both teams are confident given how these games have gone. Both teams are going to feel good about it and expect, obviously, to win.''

The fact the Bulls have won three of the four OT games is in stark contrast to the team's 2-7 overtime record during the regular season.

''The last 20, 25 games we've learned how to win games down the stretch,'' Bulls captain Kirk Hinrich said. ''Those first couple [playoff] games in Boston gave us confidence we could play with this team. We need to bring energy [tonight], cut down mistakes, stick together. We know it's going to be a hard-fought game. It kind of comes down to toughening it out. It has all series.''

Both Boston forward Kendrick Perkins and guard Rajon Rondo said Hinrich is the player the Celtics must contain. And that was before Hinrich and Rondo squared off in a shoving match late in the first quarter Thursday. The altercation resulted in a flagrant foul for Rondo and a technical foul for Hinrich.

''We're definitely competing hard, and there's a lot of stuff going on between two teams,'' Hinrich said. ''Every playoff series I've been in has been like that. At the end of the day do we respect each other? Yeah. Right now we're just trying to get the better of each other.''

Coach Vinny Del Negro said the Bulls will have to play ''the best game of the series'' to win tonight.

So which Bulls will lead the way?

''Guys have been taking their turns on this team, everybody,'' Miller said. ''That's what makes it fun. We just don't know who's going to step up.''

''There are so many different guys in this series that have made plays that are probably the biggest plays in their life,'' Gordon said. ''It's great to have teammates [with] that amount of courage and focus and concentration in these pressure-type games.''

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