(My Sportsbook) - The defending NBA champion Boston Celtics hope to close out their entertaining Eastern Conference quarterfinals series with the Chicago Bulls tonight at the United Center.

In a series that has now featured an NBA record three overtimes, the C's gained the advantage on Tuesday when Paul Pierce's shot went in and a bloodied Brad Miller's free throws didn't.

Pierce's jumper with 3.4 seconds left in overtime gave Boston the lead then the veteran Miller missed two free throws with two ticks left, as the Celtics claimed a 106-104 victory over the Bulls and a 3-2 series advantage heading back to the Windy City.

"I just thought I didn't over-penetrate tonight. I took my own time, I got some space off the dribble, and you know, got into my sweet spot and took the shots," said Pierce.

Pierce made the shot when it counted, while Miller couldn't convert moments after a hard foul from Rajon Rondo left him bloodied and dazed. A flagrant foul could have been called but the whistles remained silent.

It was just another chapter in what is quickly becoming one of the NBA's best playoff series in years.

"It was a great foul by Rondo," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

Pierce scored 26 points to go along with seven rebounds. Rondo, who is averaging a triple-double in the series, tallied a game-best 28 points with 11 assists and eight rebounds, while Glen Davis chimed in with 21 points and six boards.

Kendrick Perkins notched a double-double with 16 points and 19 rebounds for the Celtics.

Boston also won three Game 5s during last year's postseason en route to their 17th NBA championship. The Celtics were deadlocked 2-2 in its series with Atlanta, Cleveland and Detroit last season, before going on to beat the Hawks and Cavs in seven games and the Pistons in six. They then won the NBA title in six games over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ben Gordon, playing with a balky hamstring, scored a team-high 26 points, while Joakim Noah added 11 points and a team-best 17 boards. Derrick Rose's stat line was again a mixture with 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists but also a game-high six turnovers.

"The games are played by so little margin," said Noah. "Guys are just hitting crazy shot after crazy shot. "Everyone knows each other's sets very well so it's all about who is going to execute better at the end of the game and make that shot."

Already reeling from the losses of forwards Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe to injury, the Celtics have also been enveloped by an unwanted drama involving supersub Tony Allen.

Allen, a Chicago native, has been the target of alleged death threats for several months and the Celtics have been blanketed with around-the-clock protection while in the Windy City.

Things will be much less hectic if the series has to shift back to Beantown for a possible Game 7, which will take place on Saturday if necessary.