The set-up: The Celtics have climbed out of an 0-2 'hole' with three straight wins over the Bulls, after losing the first two games at home during this series. The visiting team was 4-0 SU & ATS in this series before the Celtics won Game 5 at the TD Garden on Wednesday, seizing a 3-2 series advantage. Starting guards Thomas and Bradley each scored 24 points in Wednesday's contest, while Chicago's star Jimmy Butler Jimmy Butler was held to a series-low 14 points. As all (most?) must know, this series turned when Chicago PG Rajon Rondo fractured his right thumb.

Boston: Isaiah Thomas was full of praise for his backcourt partner, after Bradley made 11-of-19 shots in Game 5. "Even the stat sheet doesn't explain how good of a player he is sometimes," Thomas told the media of Bradley. "When he's not scoring or rebounding, he's doing a lot of things to help out everybody else on this team, whether that be help-side defense, whether that be making the right play on offense. He's a complete basketball player." Center Al Horford was a non-factor in the first two games of the series (both Boston home losses) but he's averaging 18 points, nine rebounds, 6.3 assists and two steals in Boston's three consecutive victories.

Chicago: Jimmy Butler averaged 26.0 PPG while the Bulls took the first two games of this series but after going in Game 5, he's now averaging 20.3 PPG on 38.5 percent shooting in Chicago's three straight losses. Butler took just two shots during Boston's decisive 20-4 run in the fourth quarter, prompting head coach Fred Hoiberg to insist that the team needs to get its All-Star the ball a bit more down the stretch. Some good news for Chicago in Game 5 was that Dwyane Wade had his best outing since returning from an elbow injury late in the regular season, finishing with 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

The pick: Boston ended Wednesday's game on a 20-4 run, despite seeing Thomas shoot 6-for-17 from the floor, including 1-of-10 from three-point range. The Celtics hope to carry the momentum of their Game 5 victory Wednesday into Game 6 and why not? Fred Hoiberg insisted that Rondo playing in tonight's game was "a long shot." In this do-or-die contest, the Bulls will need more from Butler and Wade. Is Wade even capable of another effort like the one in Game 5? As for Butler, he's attempted zero free throws in Game 3, 23 in Game 4 (made 19!) and one in Game 5. I've had Boston the last two games but I'm not ready to "go back to the well" again in this Game 6. Expect Butler to have a huge game and after 87- and 95-point efforts at home, look for the Bulls to make the Celtics score to win this one. The Over is a 10* play