The Chicago Bulls won a 142-134 triple overtime thriller Saturday afternoon against the Brooklyn Nets, dropping them into a 1-3 hole in their first-round series.
The Nets, who scored a blowout win over the Bulls in Game 1, can thank Nate Robinson for this loss. Robinson scored 34 points off the bench, 29 of which came in the fourth quarter and subsequent overtimes.
The diminutive Robinson continues to amaze in his microwave role off the bench. When asked how he's able to navigate a court full of giants night after night and add scoring punch to a sometimes-lifeless Bulls offense, Robinson had much to say.
"I always think I'm on fire, kind of like the old school game NBA Jam," he said. "You make a couple in a row, the rim's on fire. You shoot the ball, the ball's on fire. I feel like that at times -- all the time. Whenever I'm in the game, I just play with a lot of confidence. You kind of have to lie to yourself and feel like you can't miss."
Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said, "He hit big shot after big shot," he said. "That's what makes him so valuable. We got him going and he had a great run. He just played a great game."
The loss was a tough pill to swallow for Brooklyn, which had three players put up double-doubles. Deron Williams had 32 points and 10 assists, Brook Lopez scored 26 points and had 11 rebounds while Reggie Evans managed 15 points and 13 boards.
The Nets blew a 14-point lead in this game, and could rue the loss if the Bulls are able to stamp out the first playoff run in Brooklyn history in the first round. "Honestly, this is definitely a game we let get away," Johnson said. "It's disappointing, but the series isn't over."
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