Bulls 91 – Nets 110

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

4/29 CHI 91 @ BKN 110

Both teams were cold early and the game went back and forth with the Nets going on a 6-0 run led by Joe Johnson’s four points to lead 10-4 with seven minutes left in the first.  Bulls grabbing three offensive rebounds and keeping themselves in the game at 17-15 Nets with two to play.  All five starters have scored for Brooklyn so far.  Brook Lopez dominant early with a pair of dunks to end first with 11 points to help the Nets lead 26-21 after one quarter.

PJ Carlesimo changed the rotation a bit with MarShon Brooks getting early time with Kris Humphries and Andray Blatche.  Humphries hits back to jumpers to give the Nets a 31-25 lead.  Nate Robinson continued his play from the last game with energy baskets.  Nets have seven offensive rebounds and still trail 34-33 with seven to play.  Nets went on a 9-2 run behind Humphries and Lopez to give them a 42-36 lead.  Gerald Wallace actually hit a 3-pointer to get the Nets their biggest lead at 48-40 with two minutes to play.  Lopez leads the Nets with 17 first half points and Reggie Evans has 10 rebounds and the Nets lead 52-44 at half.

[quote_simple]Deron Williams: “Brook came ready to play tonight… The way he’s played all season, he’s just stepped up his game a lot.

P.J. Carlesimo – “Brook played like an All-Star, he was aggressive, took the ball to the basket really well and got to the free throw line.  He clogged the middle and altered shots.”[/quote_simple]

Deron Williams woke up and hit a 3-pointer to halt a Bulls run and the Nets lead 59-49.  Carlos Boozer continues to hit jumpshots as the Nets refuse to guard him outside. Williams with nine third quarter points in four minutes to take the lead to 68-57 Nets.  The game went back and forth for a few minutes and the Nets kept the lead at 74-67 with two minutes to play.  Williams scored 13 points in the third.  The Nets lead is down to 77-73 at the end of three quarters.

Jimmy Butler hit a 3-pointer to start the fourth and get the Bulls to 77-76 early.  Blatche with two big baskets to give the Nets a bit of a cushion at 83-78 with 10 left in the game.  Can Brooklyn hold on?  Bulls shooting the lights out in the second half and Marco Belinelli hitting to keep the Bulls in it.  Nets up 87-84 with seven minutes to go in maybe the season when Belinelli gets hit with a flagrant foul on Blatche.  Brooklyn has 17 offensive rebounds right now and are only up by five.  Nets are 4-15 from behind the arc and hold a 93-88 lead with four minutes left.  Deja vu.  Wallace hit a HUGE 3-pointer and a steal to give the Nets a 103-91 lead with two to play.  Lopez put the game away with another layup to give the Nets a 14 point lead with under a minute left.  Nets head back to Chicago down 3-2 after winning this 110-91.

[quote_simple]Gerald Wallace: “We feel like we’re the better team.  We aren’t ready to go home.”

Deron Williams: “We wanted to win the game for us, and for our fans…We didn’t want to go fishing. We didn’t want to be on TNT with the hats on.”[/quote_simple]

LEADERS:

Points – Lopez – 28

Rebounds – Evans – 12

Assists – Williams – 10

STAT OF THE NIGHT: The Nets were huge on the glass and out-rebounded the Bulls 44-33 and had 17 offensive rebounds.  The Nets also scored 54 points in the paint.

GAMECHANGER: Gerald Wallace hit a huge 3-pointer and then made a steal and breakaway dunk to turn an right point game to 12 with just over two minutes left to hold off Chicago.

BOXSCORE REPLAY