The Brooklyn Nets opened up the Barclays Center for playoff business Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls, using a dominant first half to knock off the Bulls 106-89 and take a 1-0 series lead in the opening round of the 2013 postseason.
Nets point guard Deron Williams led the way, racking up 22 points, seven assists and three steals in the win. Williams had his shot working; he was 9-of-15 for the night and 2-of-3 from 3-point range.
The Nets donned their road black uniforms, and encouraged the fans to wear black clothing in what the organization termed a "blackout." "Everybody was excited for this game,'' Williams said. ''I think it has been a long time coming for this franchise, this organization with the move and everything. We expected to be here, so we came out playing like we wanted to be here ... we were locked in today.''
Williams got a lot of help from center Brook Lopez, who shredded the Bulls interior bigs for 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Putting Lopez on the foul line wasn't an option either, because he made all seven of his free throws.
The first half was what did the Bulls in, according to head coach Tom Thibodeau. ''It was the end of the first (quarter) and they hit us with a haymaker, got us back on our heels,'' Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. ''So end of the first, second quarter, poor defense, poor intensity, poor energy on offense. You can't win like that.''
The Bulls were without Derrick Rose, who will likely miss the entire postseason, and Joakim Noah was very limited as he battles plantar fasciitis. Noah played just over 13 minutes, scoring four points, grabbing five rebounds, and recording a blocked shot and a steal.
Carlos Boozer, Williams' former running mate with the Utah Jazz, was Chicago's leading scorer. Boozer hung 25 on Brooklyn and was 12-for-20 from the field. He also added eight rebounds and four assists. Game 2 will be Monday at 8:00 p.m. in the Barclays Center.
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