The first round of the NBA playoffs have been a wild roller coaster ride for the Brooklyn Nets, with a peak of a Game 1 "blackout" in which the team donned its road blacks while the fans did the same and the Nets smacked down the Chicago Bulls in blowout fashion.
That was followed by three consecutive losses, including a triple overtime thriller in which tiny Nate Robinson gave Brooklyn's star point guard Deron Williams the business. The Nets have rallied, however, and after a 95-92 Game 6 win over the depleted Bulls the first round will see its first Game 7 of 2013.
Four Nets starters, Williams, Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace scored in double-figures, with the first three each totaling 17 points in the victory. Williams was the table-setter, notching 11 assists to go with his scoring and thoroughly outplaying Robinson, who has seemed overmatched since his insertion in the starting lineup to replace the injured Kirk Hinrich (bruised calf).
Johnson, who shot 54 percent from the floor Thursday night said after the game, "We just believed. We believed in one another. In practice (Wednesday), we went over a lot. More so than anything, it was about who wanted it badder."
Reserve center Andray Blatche, usually the top scorer in Brooklyn's second unit, added 10 points and seven rebounds, as well as crucial free throws down the stretch. "Most people would have counted us out being down 3-1," Blatche said. "But we kept fighting. We showed that we have a lot of heart. Now that it's tied up, we have to go out with the same hunger, the same attitude, finish this off."
Carlesimo was proud of his team but also praised the effort of the Bulls, who are short-handed and had many players battling flu-like symptoms, including Robinson who was seen vomiting on the bench during the game.
"There is not a team in the league that plays harder than them," Carlesimo said. "We could have made it easier on ourselves and given us more of a cushion if we made some layups and free throws late in the game."
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