2013 NBA PLAYOFFS Round 1

Brooklyn Nets (2-3) @ Chicago Bulls (3-2)

United Center 8:00

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

The Brooklyn Nets head to the Windy City to try and continue their playoff run with a win against the Chicago Bulls in Game 6 tonight  and bring the series back to Brooklyn.  The Nets forced another game with a well played and toughed out win in Brooklyn on Monday night 110-91.  The game was close most of the way until Brooklyn pulled away with a solid fourth quarter and put the Bulls on their heels heading back to Chicago wondering what happened.

Kirk Hinrich did not play in Game 5 and is officially listed as OUT for tonight’s game as well.  This bodes well for Brooklyn as Hinrich is one of the Bulls best defenders and with his absence the Nets will see more of Nate Robinson at point guard.  Deron Williams has played much better with Robinson guarding him and can use his size to change the game on both ends of the floor.

The Nets are dealing with their own injuries with Joe Johnson (plantar fasciitis) and Andray Blatche (sore calf) hurting but both will play tonight as best they can.  Johnson came out yesterday and said he is basically playing on one leg and will continue to play through the pain.  Johnson sat out for multiple games near the end of the season due to a combination of the heel and quad problems only to see the problems continue to into the playoffs.

Johnson has shot poorly in this series from 3-point range and has gone 5-for-20 (25 percent) while shooting a whopping 41 percent from the field overall.  The Nets will need everything Johnson has to give tonight in order to get this series back to Brooklyn.

[quote_simple]”I think we’ve been confident throughout the whole series regardless of whether they were up 3-1,” Johnson said. “The series is not over man until the first team gets four wins so at this point we’ve still got a shot. We understand that we’ve got a big task ahead of us and that’s going to Chicago and getting a win.”[/quote_simple]

The biggest problem for Brooklyn is trying to figure out a way to win in Chicago, something the nets haven’t done this season. The Nets dropped both regular season matchups there and lost Games 3 and 4 to go 0-4 this season.  The Nets know it will be a tough job but they did have a 14 point lead with just over four minutes to play last time in Chicago before they let it slip away and lose in triple overtime.

[quote_simple]”Number one, the Bulls. Number two, we just did a poor job of closing,” Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said. “The first game there we didn’t get a shot. We had the ball with whatever it was, a three-, four-point lead and we didn’t get a shot our last three possessions. And obviously Game Four, up 14 with less than three minutes to go would be a pretty good place to be you would think.

So twice we did a very poor job of finishing. I don’t think there’s any magic to the building. I think it’s the guys the white uniforms and the fact that we’ve done a poor job closing out for sure.”[/quote_simple]

If the Nets can grind out a win in Chicago they can force a Game 7 in Brooklyn where the odds are in their favor with their home crowd waiting to explode.

SERIES 3-2 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

4/29 – CHI 91 @ BKN 110

STAT FOR TONIGHT: Brooklyn is 0-4 in Chicago this year at the Untied Center.  The Nets have never won a playoff series when trailing 3-2 (0-3 all-time).

Nets:

None

Bulls:

Derrick Rose (left knee) is OUT

Kirk Hinrich (left calf) is OUT

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

via @octoberGR8NESS @CKCash30