Before the regular season started, most people thought Tristan Thompson and his agent were making a big mistake in turning down a massive contract offer from the Cavs.

Thompson reportedly nixed a four-year deal with Cleveland that would have paid him $13 million U.S. a season. With Kevin Love incoming and Thompson heading to the bench, it was hard to see his value doing anything but plummeting, despite the forthcoming rise in the NBA's salary cap.

Well, we were all wrong, Thompson and his camp were right. He had a good regular season and has stepped in for Love admirably since the all-star went down.

After putting up his series highs in points (13) and rebounds (17) to help Cleveland eliminate Chicago and advance to the East Finals, continuing a strong post-season run, there is little question that the Brampton, Ont. born power forward will get at least what he was previously offered – if not more.

Thompson is one of the NBA's top five offensive rebounders and a solid defender. He gets the Cavs all kinds of second-chance points and has helped the club overcome the absence of Love, with help from big centre Timofey Mozgov.

Thompson tied for the team-best at +42 for the series (Kyrie Irving was just +4), hauled in 10 more offensive boards (24, four per game) than anybody else, averaged a team-best 11.2 rebounds for the series, blocked nine shots in the six games, had just three turnovers and hit 14-of-17 shots from the free throw line, an 82.4% clip (he is a career 63% shooter).

Thompson was a workhorse (only James played more minutes) and a difference-maker. Chicago boasts one of the NBA's best and deepest front-courts, yet Thompson went toe-to-toe with all of them.

This will be the fifth straight trip to the Eastern Conference Finals for James. Without Thompson's efforts, he doesn't get there this year.

CLUTCH CITY COMEBACK

Feel the shame if you didn't stay up for Houston's epic comeback win in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

It was the biggest rally in years, given the stakes. Houston, trailing by as many as 19 points in the third quarter, looked all but eliminated, turning in yet another listless third frame after getting pulverized in that quarter in its three losses in the series.

Blake Griffin was playing at an MVP level again, DeAndre Jordan was besting Dwight Howard and Houston coach Kevin McHale even benched MVP runner-up James Harden and others for a spell.

Somehow, the Rockets rallied, becoming the first team since 2003 to win by 12 points or more after trailing by 13+ entering the fourth (per Elias Sports).

Even though Harden and Howard did not make a field goal in the fourth, and despite Harden ending up at -21 for the game, the Rockets forced a Game 7 at home behind unlikely heroes Corey Brewer and Josh Smith, who hit 5-of-10 from three-point range as the Clippers dared them to shoot.

Houston went on a 49-18 run and held the Clippers to 4-for-22 shooting in the final 12 minutes.

EX-RAP FIRES BACK

Earlier this week, Chris Webber took some shots at former Michigan teammate Jalen Rose and the Fab 5 documentary, which Webber indicated was too Rose-centric.

Webber said he was only asked to take part in the film at the last minute (he wasn't interviewed in it) and alluded to the ego of Rose, who was the team's second-best player behind the future superstar Webber, who is now an NBA analyst.

Rose took issue and fired back, telling Larry Brown Sports: “One dude traveled then called timeout (costing the Wolverines a shot at an NCAA title). One dude lied to grand jury and hasn’t apologized. One dude tried to circumvent the documentary to HBO,” Rose said.

“One dude ignored multiple requests from everyone involved after agreeing to participate. One dude played like (President) Obama and sat in a suite during Michigan’s recent title game. One dude slandered Ed Martin after all he did for him and his family. One dude is not in contact with the other four (which is all good). One dude has been doing a rebuttal doc for four years. One dude clearly is delusional and still in denial,” Rose said.

AROUND THE RIM

Who saw the Bulls playing so poorly with the season on the line? The team shot 1-for-10 from three in the first half on Thursday night, then just 29% from the field overall in the second half. Brutal. Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol were great early, then couldn't hit a shot. And now Tom Thibodeau is likely heading elsewhere, though he said in the aftermath: “Until they tell me I'm not, I expect to be here” ... Have to wonder if Chicago would have been able to close out the Cavs even if James had missed that Game 4 winner and Cleveland ended up losing in overtime. Even a 3-1 series lead might not have been safe the way James played from there ...LeBron's numbers in four playoff series against the Bulls: unbeaten overall and 16-5 in the games with averages of 26.8 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 7.9 APG vs. the Bulls, according to Sports Illustrated ... Howard answered some critics with a 20-point, 21-rebound effort in Game 6. Only Shawn Kemp (1997) and Bob McAdoo (1976) have gone for 20 and 20 in a road elimination game over the past 40 years ... I'm sure many Raptors fans enjoyed Paul Pierce yelling: “Series” the other night after sinking a three, only to see Atlanta win the game at the buzzer on an Al Horford tip-in? ... The NCAA has proposed going to a 30-second shot clock, decreasing second-half timeouts and a few other things in order to speed up the game and increase scoring.