2013 NBA PLAYOFFS Round 1

Chicago Bulls (3-1) @ Brooklyn Nets (1-3)

Barclays Center 7:00

TV:TNT/MY9  RADIO: WBBR 1130 AM/WQBU 92.7 FM

The Brooklyn Nets have to pick themselves up and dust off their pride as they try to make this series continue after blowing a 14 point lead in the last 3:45 of Game 4 on Saturday in Chicago in triple overtime.

This game was one for the ages and the Nets wish they could simply forget it rather than revel in it.  The collapse was historic for sure but that game is over and they must move on and win tonight or go home for the summer.

Brooklyn had a lot going in their favor after Game 1 of this series and since it has all gone bad.  The Nets are 7-0 all-time in five and seven-game series’ when holding homecourt advantage.  The franchise is also 5-0 all-time in series’ when they win Game 1 at home so the past is working in their favor although if they don’t find a way to finish games they will be fishing after tonight.

The Nets leader Deron Williams had some great looking stats in Game 4 but he went ice cold when Brooklyn needed him most.  Williams scored 32 points and had 10 assists tut 22 of Williams’ 32 points came in the second and third quarter when the nets rallied to take a double digit lead.  The rest of the game including the fourth quarter and all three overtimes, he was a miserable 2-for-11 from the field and allowed the Bulls to come back and steal the game in three overtimes.

[quote_simple]Deron Williams: “Every game is essentially Game 7 for us. Every game is an elimination game.”[/quote_simple]

Joe Johnson was quiet in the first half but rose to the occasion late in the fourth and the overtimes with one big shot after another to force overtime and again force double overtime.  Johnson looked fierce after he hit those shots with just seconds to play and in my opinion should have featured him more in the overtimes.  P.J. Carlesimo did not make the Nets watch the debacle in a film session yesterday and that may be good news for everyone involved as watching it might make some of them want to vomit.

The Nets built their lead late in the third and early in the fourth quarter when Reggie Evans and Gerald Wallace were on the bench and this has become groundhog day for Nets fans knowing that both cannot play together for long stretches and the Nets win.  The two played the entire overtimes together and once again the Nets struggled to score.  Carlesimo must go back to staggering their minutes together as he did earlier the game when they actually built the lead.

Some good news from this morning for the Nets and their fans when it was told that Kirk Hinrich will miss Monday’s Game 5 against Brooklyn because of a bruised left calf and entered the morning shootaround in a walking boot.  Hinrich could be gone for longer than Game 5 with this injury so it means the nets will see more of their little nemesis Nate Robinson.  This is a big injury for the Chicago Bulls as the Bulls are 5-13 when he is sidelined and will have to go even deeper into their injury depleted team to get some minutes.  I expect Rip Hamilton to see action again tonight after not playing in the last two games in Hinrich’s place as well.

This series is not over by any stretch but the season is on life support right now so the Brooklyn Nets need to focus and win Game 5 and get this back to Chicago and take it one game at a time.

via @octoberGR8NESS @CKCash30

SERIES 3-1 Chicago

4/20 – CHI 89 @ BKN 106

4/22 – CHI 90@ BKN 82

4/25 – BKN 76 @ CHI 79

4/27 – BKN 134 @ CHI 142 3OT

STAT FOR TONIGHT: Teams facing 3-1 deficits in NBA best-of-7 playoff series are 8-202 all-time in those series.

Nets:

None

Bulls:

Derrick Rose (left knee) is OUT

Kirk Hinrich (left calf) is OUT

Taj Gibson (left knee) is day-to-day

Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis – right foot) is day-to-day