CHICAGO — Another playoff thriller between Chicago and Boston, and this one went to the Bulls.

If the Celtics want to advance, they're going to have to earn it.

Ben Gordon scored 22 points, hitting the tying 3-pointer in the first overtime, and the Bulls beat the defending champions, 121-118, in double overtime yesterday to tie their first-round series at two games apiece.

The teams split two tight games in Boston, before the Celtics blew out the Bulls in Game 3. This time, they stretched the drama into a second overtime.

"Everybody I'm talking to is saying this is the most exciting series that they're watching right now," Gordon said.

It's tough to argue.

Derrick Rose added 23 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. John Salmons scored 20 points after a slow start, hitting four free throws in the final 26 seconds of the game and blocking Paul Pierce's tying 3-pointer.

Boston's Ray Allen buried a 3-pointer with 9.8 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 96 before Rose missed a potential winning fadeaway in the closing seconds. Gordon came through with 4.5 seconds left in the first overtime, hitting a 3-pointer over Pierce to tie it at 110, and the Bulls never trailed in the second OT.

Salmons hit two free throws with 26 seconds left and, after a 3-pointer by Pierce, he hit two more at the line. After a timeout, Pierce got the ball on the left side but couldn't shake Salmons, who deflected his 3-pointer.

Pierce led Boston with 29 points, although he was just 9-for-24. Allen added 28, and Rajon Rondo again hounded the Bulls, finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists — his second triple-double of the series.

"We've been here before," Allen said. "That's (what) bothered me so much about this one, because we had opportunities."

CAVALIERS 99, PISTONS 78

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — LeBron James had 36 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists to lead Cleveland to a first-round sweep of Detroit.

The top-seeded Cavs might be off for more than a week, waiting for Atlanta or Miami to advance.

Detroit, meanwhile, will have its longest offseason since 2001 and about $20 million in salary-cap space to rebuild a once-proud team.

Mo Williams scored a career playoff-high 24 for the Cavs. Detroit's Antonio McDyess had 26 points, tying a career playoff high.

MAGIC 84, 76ERS 81

PHILADELPHIA — Hedo Turkoglu nailed a 3-pointer over Thaddeus Young with 1.1 seconds left to lift Orlando over Philadelphia, evening their Eastern Conference first-round series at two games apiece.

Dwight Howard had 18 points and 18 rebounds, and every Magic starter scored in double figures. Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis each added 17.

Andre Miller led the Sixers with 17 and Young had 15.

Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is tomorrow night in Orlando. The teams have alternated wins so far.

ROCKETS 89, TRAIL BLAZERS 88

HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets are one win away from finally escaping the first round, after Yao Ming had 21 points and 12 rebounds and the Rockets took a 3-1 lead over Portland.

Luis Scola scored 17 points, and Shane Battier added 14 points and six assists for the Rockets, who snapped a six-game losing streak in Game 4s, coinciding with their 0-6 record in first-round series since 1998. Game 5 is tomorrow night in Portland.

Brandon Roy scored 31 points and went 13-for-13 from the free-throw line for the Blazers.

NOTES

Lakers: Tex Winter, the longtime Los Angeles Lakers consultant and mentor to coach Phil Jackson, is recovering in a Kansas hospital from an apparent stroke.

Winter, 87, fell ill Saturday morning in Manhattan, where he was attending a reunion of Kansas State basketball team members, the Lakers said.

Jackson said he heard Winter would be moved out of intensive care today, spend a few more days in the hospital and then be moved to a care unit that specializes in rehabilitating stroke victims.

The Lakers host Utah today in a first-round playoff series.