VIDEO – GAME 1 Nets Recap: #Bulls 89 – #Nets 106

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Updated: April 20, 2013

Bulls 89 – Nets 106

SERIES 1-0 Brooklyn

4/20 – CHI 89 @ BKN 106

Before the game even started the crowd was in a frenzy after the principal owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, took the mic and addressed the Brooklyn faithful followed by a rousing rendition of the National Anthem by Brooklyn nets player Jerry Stackhouse.  The Nets were ready to play and it showed early with the aggressiveness inside.  Brook Lopez was the focal point early on both on offense and defense.  Nets have 8 points in the paint vs zero points for Bulls led by Lopez with two layups and a free throw to take an early lead.  Lopez and Deron Williams have five points apiece while Reggie Evans has five boards to give the Nets an 11-6 lead.  Nets match their biggest lead of the game with a Gerald Wallace jumper, yes I said a jumper, and are up seven points, 19-12 late first.  Carlos Boozer is struggling a bit but still keeping Bulls in the game with six points (3-6 FG) and an assist.  Nets take a 25-14 lead after one quarter as the Bulls have missed their last six shots and Lopez has 13 points.Mikhail prokhorov speak before game 1 Bulls vs Nets 2013

[blockquote]Deron Williams – “Everybody was excited for this game. It’s been a long time coming for this franchise, this organization with the move and everything, we expected to be here, and so we came out playing like we wanted to be here, and I think I used the word ‘locked in,’ we were locked in today.”[/blockquote]

The Bulls are 1-7 at the rim in part because Lopez is very active and altering shots.  Nets are dominating inside! They’ve got 20 points in the paint vs no points for Bulls and are led by Lopez with seven FTs, two layups and a dunk.  P.J. Carlesimo goes with Andray Blatche and Stackhouse as his first two subs.  Nets up 31-20 as C.J. Watson hits a jumper early in the second.  Taj Gibson in foul trouble with three fouls early in the quarter and will sit for the half.  Using a 12-4 run in 3:25, Nets are pulling away 43-26 from Bulls, with 4:39 left 1st half.  Lopez is carrying the Nets offense with 17 points (5-9 FG) so far.  Wallace denying Luol Deng any space and Deng is 1-6 early.  Nets are dominating the boards, 24 rebounds (6 off 18 def) vs 16 rebounds (6 off 10 def) for Bulls. Nets take their biggest lead of the game with a Wallace layup in transition and are up 23 points, 58-35 with 0:42 left 1st half.  Brooklyn has 40 points in the paint vs eight points for Bulls and are by Lopez with 4 layups, 7 FTs and a dunk.  The Nets hit 14 of their last 15 shots to end the half and lead 60-35 at half.

[blockquote]Brook Lopez –  “I was excited and anxious because I’ve been waiting for this for awhile, and I was very pleased with the results.  Like I said, the energy was electric and it was a lot of fun, especially with the team playing at a high level.”[/blockquote]

 Joakim Noah tried to play once again to start the second half but is hobbling bad.  Wallace score six straight points to give the Nets  a 70-44 lead and has 14 points already to go with stellar defense.  Midway through the third quarter and the Nets are pouring it on and now lead 76-52.  Evans just threw an alley-oop to Blatche to get the crowd in a absolute frenzy and out the Nets up 80-56.  The Nets defense is stifling the Bulls and they are clicking on offense.  Williams with another steal, three total, and this one led to an amazing double pump reverse dunk that almost brought the building down.  Amazing to see D-Will rise up that high after his ankle issues early on.  Kirk Hinrich came up limping after trying to get through a screen and leaves the game. Boozer is the only Bulls player hitting anything and has 24 points.Nets cruising after three quarters and are up 89-62 behind Williams 17 points and seven assists to go with Lopez 21 points and Wallace’s 14.

Brook Lopez blocks Bulls Joakim NoahThe Bench Mob started the fourth for Brooklyn and turned it over on consecutive possessions to allow Chicago to go on a whopping 4-0 run to bring the Nets lead down to 94-72.  The game was over before the fourth started but they have to play it out at this point.  Carlesimo is not happy with the reserves and puts Lopez, Evans and Johnson back in the game with six to play.  Evans has 13 rebounds to lead Brooklyn.  Johnson started to get hot from the outside and hit three straight jumpers along with a 3-pointer to put the Nets up 104-80.  Williams entered the game and immediately hit a 3-pointer as well to douse any idea the Bulls had of a comeback.  Nate Robinson decided it was time for him to start chucking it and he hit for 13 fourth quarter points but it didn’t dent the lead much.  With two minutes left the Nets emptied the bench and went on to win 106-89 in a complete rout from the start.  The Nets had six players in double figures and were balanced to handle the Bulls in game 1.

[blockquote]Tom Thibodeau –  “It was poor defense and poor intensity, poor energy on offense, you can’t win like that. It was from A to Z.  Defensive transition, middle penetration, poor paint protection, poor help, poor on the ball technique and a lack of a multiple-effort mentality … you name it.”[/blockquote]

LEADERS:

Points – Williams– 22

Rebounds – Evans – 13

Assists – Williams – 7

STAT OF THE NIGHT: The Nets shot 55.8 percent from the field for the game against a tough Chicago defense and made it look easy.  Lopez and Williams accounted for 21 of the team’s 25 first-quarter points as the Nets took a 25-14 lead into the second quarter.

GAMECHANGER:  Brook Lopez was completely dominant and focused in the first half where he scored 19 of his 21 points.  He played great defense and blocked multiple shots while affecting numerous more in the paint.

 BOXSCORE REPLAY

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