John Salmons scored 35 points and Derrick Rose scored 28 points and blocked Rajon Rondo's potential game-winner, as Chicago beat the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics 128-127 in triple overtime, to level the first-round series at 3-3.

Ray Allen scored a career play-off high 51 points for the Celtics, but the series - which has had a record four games go a total of seven overtimes - will go back to Boston for Game 7 today.

Great block timing

Rondo penetrated and pulled up on the left block with eight seconds left and turned, only to be rejected by Rose.

The Rookie of the Year then missed two free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining, before Rondo launched a harmless heave from beyond midcourt.

Allen finished three points shy of John Havlicek's club play-off record and tied the NBA play-off mark with nine three-pointers.

At Houston, Ron Artest scored 27 points and Yao Ming had 17 points and 10 rebounds as the Houston Rockets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 92-76 to reach the second round of the play-offs for the first time since 1997.

Career play-off high

Aaron Brooks scored 13 points and Shane Batter tied a career play-off high with nine rebounds as the Rockets won for the first time in their last seven first-round series. They lost Game 6s the last two seasons, both to Utah.

Houston put this one away with a big second quarter and moves on to play the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night at the Staples Center. The Lakers won all four meetings in the regular season.

At Philadelphia, Orlando Magic, playing without suspended star Dwight Howard and injured guard Courtney Lee, beat Philadelphia 76ers 114-89 in Game 6 to advance to the second round of the Eastern Conference play-offs.

Howard, who was suspended for one game by the NBA for his elbow on Sixers center Samuel Dalembert in Game 5, will return when the Magic play the winner of the Boston-Chicago series.