Bulls-Nets Preview

By JUSTIN EINHORN
Posted Feb 01 2013 6:18PM

The Brooklyn Nets are coming off their first home loss under P.J. Carlesimo, and now they must host the Eastern Conference's best road team.

The Chicago Bulls, however, may be rather short-handed.

While the Nets and their top scorer have cooled off a bit, the Bulls have gotten hot behind a pair of role players heading into their first game in Brooklyn on Friday night.

Since Carlesimo took over for the fired Avery Johnson on Dec. 27, the Nets and Bulls share the East's best record at 13-5. However, while Chicago (28-17) has won eight of 10, Brooklyn (27-19) has lost three of four as Joe Johnson has averaged 13.3 points and shot 36.7 percent from the field.

Johnson averaged 19.7 points in the first 11 games of January, making 30 of 69 from 3-point range, as the Nets went 10-1. He scored 16 on Wednesday but went 4 of 15 from the floor with four turnovers in a 105-85 loss to conference-leading Miami, which outscored Brooklyn by 20 in the second half.

"We just got flustered and couldn't really get anything going, and because we couldn't get anything going, I think our defense suffered because of that," said Deron Williams, who had six turnovers while battling the flu and was limited to nine points.

The Nets missed a chance to tie the franchise record of 12 wins in any month, and they had an eight-game home winning streak snapped.

Chicago is a conference-best 13-6 in road games, including 6-1 in January. The Bulls opened a six-game trip with a 104-88 win in Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Though All-Stars Joakim Noah and Luol Deng get much of the credit for Chicago's success with Derrick Rose still sidelined, reserves Jimmy Butler and Nate Robinson have keyed the recent surge.

Butler has returned to coming off the bench for the past two games, totaling 37 points on 15-of-22 shooting, after making five starts when Deng was injured. Since getting that first career start two weeks ago, Butler is averaging 15.4 points and 7.9 rebounds with only five turnovers in seven games.

"He's a big lift," coach Tom Thibodeau said of Butler, considered one of the team's top defenders. "He can guard, he can score and play multiple positions and make hustle plays. He's doing a lot for us. He's a big part of this team."

It appears Robinson is, too, though his minutes could soon decrease with Rose nearing a return. Robinson has scored in double figures in a season-high eight straight games and has averaged 20.0 points over the last four, shooting 56.9 percent from the field.

"I'm going back to being the old Nate," Robinson told the Bulls' official website. "Having fun and bringing energy and playing as hard as I can and not worrying about making mistakes and looking over my shoulder, playing as hard as I can and for as long as I can no matter if it's 30 minutes or 30 seconds."

Robinson may need to play extra minutes Friday as Kirk Hinrich won't be available due to a right elbow injury that's bothered him for a month. Carlos Boozer is questionable with a hamstring injury and Noah may not play due to a recurring foot issue.

The absence of those big men would put the onus on Taj Gibson, who could get a second straight start. Gibson had 14 points and nine rebounds Wednesday.

The Bulls have held seven straight opponents below 90 points and have limited the Nets to an average of 87.7 in the past six meetings, winning five.

Chicago won 83-82 on Dec. 15 in the lone matchup this season as Williams missed a 3-pointer as time expired. He's averaged 26.0 points in the last three meetings.

Bench carries Nets past Bulls, 93-89

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Posted Feb 01 2013 11:24PM

NEW YORK (AP) The Brooklyn Nets kept going deeper down their bench to find a winning combination. The Chicago Bulls simply had nowhere to go.

Brook Lopez scored 20 points through three quarters, then the Nets turned to their bench to beat the short-handed Bulls 93-89 on Friday night.

With most of their best players in street clothes, the Bulls' normally sturdy defense allowed the Nets to make 11 of 18 shots in the fourth quarter. Nine of the baskets were by reserves.

"It's huge, especially when a lot of our starters didn't have it going tonight," Nets guard Deron Williams said. "It was good that those guys came in and stepped up for us. Without them, we don't win this game."

Andray Blatche scored all 11 of his points in the fourth quarter and MarShon Brooks had nine of his 13 as the reserves scored the Nets' first 20 points. A starter didn't score until Joe Johnson's 3-pointer gave Brooklyn an 86-80 lead with 2 minutes to play.

"MarShon and Blatche, man, carried us in that fourth quarter," Johnson said.

Johnson finished with 13 points for the Nets, who bounced back from a loss to Miami on Wednesday by beating another top Eastern Conference team.

Luol Deng scored 18 points and Taj Gibson had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Bulls, who played without starters Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer and Kirk Hinrich while losing for just the third time in 11 games.

"This is good for our team. It's all for the better come playoff time when we get everybody back and we're fully healthy, we feel like we've got a shot of winning the East," Gibson said.

Nate Robinson had 12 points and 11 assists but shot just 4 of 16 in place of Hinrich, who returned to Chicago to get his right elbow examined. Marco Belinelli scored 18 points and Jimmy Butler had 12 off Chicago's bench.

Noah had an undisclosed foot injury, though felt it wouldn't be a long-term problem, and Boozer was bothered by a sore right hamstring.

"I know it's hard to come back from, but I'm on it a lot earlier than I was last time," said Noah, who missed 18 games with plantar fasciitis during the 2009-10 season. "I think the difference was last time I just tried to keep fighting through it and keep fighting through it, and I'm just trying to be smart about it. I just know that if I would have kept playing on it, even just today, I would probably have been out for a lot longer."

The Bulls have been without Derrick Rose all season and are as good as anyone at playing without a full deck. They had a lead into the early fourth quarter before perhaps running out of gas as the deeper Nets surged by them.

Brooks' jumper gave the Nets the lead for good at 74-73 with 7:39 left and former Bulls backup CJ Watson hit a 3-pointer before Blatche's basket made it 79-73 with 6:09 to go. Brooklyn stayed ahead from there, though Chicago got within two with 15 seconds left before Watson closed it out with two free throws.

Brooks has struggled to find consistent minutes this season. It didn't seem they would come Friday, with interim coach P.J. Carlesimo saying before the game that the Bulls were a bad matchup for the second-year guard.

"It felt great, it did," Brooks said. "I just try to stay ready and just be aggressive. I was out there in the fourth quarter, trying to make plays, man."

Even with Chicago's injuries, Carlesimo said going from the Heat on Wednesday to the Bulls on Friday was like "going for a root canal a couple of times in a week" because of how tough both teams make it to run an offense.

Notoriously cautious Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau termed Noah's ailment a "lower-body injury." Pressed further, Thibodeau simply said Noah was "nicked up."

The Bulls almost got by without the All-Star while playing with just eight players but had their two-game winning streak snapped.

The Nets jumped out to a 12-point lead in the first quarter, but Chicago battled back to take a 42-39 lead on Deng's 3-pointer with 51 seconds left in the first half, and the Bulls led by one at the break.

Williams had 11 points for the Nets. He limped off with an apparent ankle injury late in the half, but was back to start the third quarter. Gerald Wallace finished with 13 rebounds, including a tip-in with 32 seconds left that represented the other fourth-quarter basket by a starter.

Notes: The Nets honored the 1 millionth guest to attend Barclays Center during a first-half timeout. Joined on the court by Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and Barclays Center majority owner and developer Bruce Ratner, Allison Barlow of Brooklyn was awarded two free tickets for all Barclays events for a year. The $1 billion arena has been open 126 days, and Friday's game was its 86th ticketed event. They also celebrated the birthday of Mr. Whammy, the elderly fan who sits in the front row behind the basket and heckles opposing free throw shooters. He couldn't do much to faze the Bulls, who went 20 of 22 (91 percent) at the line.

Notebook: Nets 93, Bulls 89

Jake Appleman, for NBA.com
Posted Fri Feb 01, 2013 11:37 PM - Updated Fri Feb 01, 2013 11:37 PM

THE FACTS: Excellent fourth quarters from Andray Blatche and MarShon Brooks carried the Nets past the undermanned Bulls, 93-89, at Barclays Center. Five Nets scored in double figures, including Brook Lopez who had 20. Marco Belinelli and Luol Deng led the Bulls with 18 points apiece.

QUOTABLE: "I just try to be solid, try to be solid, not try to force the issue, try to be solid and be decisive. When I get in trouble, that's when I think too much."
- Brooks.

THE STAT: Brooks, Blatche and C.J. Watson combined for 25 points off the Nets' bench in the fourth quarter.

TURNING POINT: Two shots from Brooks to open the fourth quarter -- one of them a 3-pointer -- spurred a 16-6 run, turning a four-point deficit into a six-point advantage.

QUOTABLE II: "It's day-to-day. We want them to get healthy. Once they get healthy, they'll be back playing, but we can't wait on them."
-- Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, on his team missing Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah and Kirk Hinrich.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Allison Barlow won two tickets to every event at Barclays Center for a year after being the arena's millionth guest. She was honored at center court with Nets owner Mikahil Prokhorov and Barclays Center developer Bruce Ratner.

ROOKIE WATCH: Marquis Teague went scoreless in six minutes of action.

NOTABLE: Deron Williams rolled his ankle late in the second quarter and had to be taken to the locker room. He returned at the beginning of the second half. .... Wallace knocked over referee Bennett Salvatore immediately following a jump ball and then committed foul on the ensuing possession. ... Brooklyn native Taj Gibson put up 16 points and nine rebounds. ... The victory snapped the Bulls' 14-game road winning streak on Fridays. ... The Bulls shot 1-14 from distance.

UP NEXT: For the Bulls, Saturday @ Atlanta, Monday @ Indiana, Wednesday @ Denver. For the Nets, Tuesday vs. L.A. Lakers, Wednesday @ Detroit, Friday @ Washington.

• Bulls: Hinrich, Rose
• Nets: Shengelia

• Bulls: Hamilton, Thibodeau
• Nets: Blatche, Wallace

• Lead Changes: 12
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
• Officials: #15 Bennett Salvatore, #42 Eric Lewis, #79 Kevin Scott
• Attendance: 17732
• Duration: 2:15