The last time the Bulls and Celtics met in the playoffs, they produced what many have dubbed the greatest first-round series in NBA history.

You remember: Seven games. Four overtime affairs. Seven overtime periods, including a triple-overtime Game 6. Two three-point games, two two-point games and a one-point decision.

So many memorable moments that relatively unknown ones are still being discovered.

"I remember I did the halftime walk-off interview in Game 7," then-Celtic and future Bull Brian Scalabrine said. "You've got Derrick Rose, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo and they interview the White Mamba? How does that happen?"

How does any of what happened happen?

Eight years have passed since an upstart 41-41 Bulls team, playing without an injured Luol Deng and in Vinny Del Negro's first season as coach, took the defending NBA champions, playing without an injured Kevin Garnett, to the limit. To this day, participants recall the series with varying amounts of disbelief and delirium.

"You had no choice but to be aware of what was happening," Ben Gordon said. "You were engulfed in it. It was a surreal experience. Everybody was watching.

"It was the kind of series where you were in it and then after you were done, you'd go back and watch it too and relive it from a fan standpoint, almost removing yourself from it. It was almost like a dreamlike setting."

The reality is it's fun to remember.

Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune Tyrus Thomas celebrates his game-winning basket during 105-103 win over the Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on April 18, 2009. Tyrus Thomas celebrates his game-winning basket during 105-103 win over the Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on April 18, 2009. (Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune) (Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune)

In Game 1, Rose tied Lew Alcindor's 39-year-old record by scoring 36 points in a rookie playoff debut. The Bulls won in overtime on the road when Tyrus Thomas sank a jumper with 50.5 seconds left. None of it happens if Pierce doesn't miss the second of two free throws with 2.6 seconds remaining in regulation.

"Amazing series," Rose said. "I remember it like it was yesterday."

In Game 2, a mere regulation game — yawn — Allen rose over Joakim Noah on a switch and buried a tiebreaking 3-pointer with two seconds left to even the series.

That shot capped a memorable duel between Allen and Gordon, who looked like they were playing pickup at their alma mater, Connecticut.

"That was the first time in my life I can remember that I was on the floor and playing against somebody where I felt like I'm not sure I can outshoot this person," Gordon said. "Every shot I made, he made."

The two sank four straight jumpers in the final 46.9 seconds, all of which either changed the lead or tied the score.

"Tough, contested shots too," Gordon said.

Game 3 produced the only blowout of the series, a 21-point Celtics victory at the United Center. On the day then-NBA Commissioner David Stern presented Rose with his Rookie of the Year trophy, Rondo dominated Rose. He almost posted his second straight triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and five steals.

"Just playing ball," Rondo said.

Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune Derrick Rose heads out of the visitor's locker room in Boston for a playoff game on April 18, 2009. Derrick Rose heads out of the visitor's locker room in Boston for a playoff game on April 18, 2009. (Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune) (Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune)

Game 4 brought two overtimes. Allen forced the first with a 3-pointer with 9.8 seconds left. Gordon, who played through a strained left hamstring, forced the second on a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left.

Rose flirted with a quadruple-double — seven turnovers — while Rondo posted his second triple-double in three games. And John Salmons overcame an 0-for-6 start by scoring six of his 20 points in the second overtime and blocking Pierce's potential tying 3-pointer in the final second.

Afterward, Noah grabbed the microphone to turn an on-court interview into a monologue with the fans.

"When you're playing, you don't get involved in 'It's double overtime.' You're just executing," Scalabrine said. "You realize the magnitude of the moment later."

Game 5 is when the series turned chippy and the truth prevailed. Or rather, "The Truth."

Pierce sank three straight overtime jumpers in one-on-one coverage against Salmons, including the game-winner with 3.4 seconds left. That shot held up only after Brad Miller missed two free throws with two seconds left following a Rondo foul that opened a gash in Miller's mouth that took seven stitches to close.

The Bulls screamed for a flagrant foul that never came despite officials huddling for several minutes while trainers attended to a woozy Miller.

"Nowadays, Rondo might be thrown out for 20 games," Del Negro cracked. "The game is so different now."

The chippiness continued in Game 6, the pinnacle of the series, a triple-overtime, triple-bypass kind of night.

Elsa / Getty Images Joakim Noah celebrates a foul against the Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals during on April 18, 2009. Joakim Noah celebrates a foul against the Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals during on April 18, 2009. (Elsa / Getty Images) (Elsa / Getty Images)

Rondo threw Kirk Hinrich into the scorer's table after they became entangled in the waning seconds of the first quarter, drawing a flagrant-one foul. By night's end, that sequence was almost forgotten.

Miller scored the final five points in regulation. Allen, as part of his 51-point game — a record for a Bulls playoff opponent — swished a 3-pointer over Hinrich to force the third overtime.