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I can't believe I'm saying this, but C.J. Watson might be the reason why the Nets are losing this series 3-1 instead of winning it 3-1. His missed wide-open three at the end of Game 3 and infamously blown in Game 4 just may have cost the Nets two wins in Chicago. But those games are done now, and Brooklyn is on life support in this series, desperately needing a huge home win tonight at Barclays |
When: 7:00 PM; Monday, April 29th, 2013
Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY
TV: My9/TNT
It may not be looking too good for the Brooklyn Nets right now, but with them being back at home in the Barclays Center for Game 5 of their opening round playoff series with the Bulls, anything can happen. After dropping two straight (Games 3 and 4) in Chicago at the United Center, the struggling Nets stumble back into Brooklyn looking to build any shred of confidence that was shattered when they coughed up a 14-point lead late in the 4th quarter on Saturday afternoon.
Their most important goal, by far, is going to be in trying to stop Nate Robinson, the Energizer-bunny-bench-player that singlehandedly carried the Bulls down the stretch of Game 4, scoring 34 points in just 29 minutes and lighting up the United Center nets and electrifying the crowd, in addition to stunning the opposing team. Nate has always been an instant-scoring kind of player, but his performance on Saturday was just ridiculous, he was hitting running 23-foot bank-shots, reverse layups, and contested threes all over the place. He was simply unstoppable in that game, and noone on the Nets could have stopped him.
Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, and Carlos Boozer aside (Kirk Hinrich is a gametime decision), if the Nets can't stop Nate Robinson, they aren't winning this game. Period. If that means Joe Johnson has to guard him, then that's what P.J. is going to have to do.
Probable Lineups
CHI- Hinrich (PG), Butler (SG), Deng (SF), Boozer (PF), Noah (C)
BKN- Williams (PG), Johnson (SG), Wallace (SF), Evans (PF), Lopez (C)
Final Thoughts
As a Mets fan and knowing that they are going to have another terrible season in the MLB, I'm not ready for the Nets to stop playing NBA games. Regardless of the result, playoff games are incredibly enjoyable, and there's nothing better than having the ability to root for your team in person at the arena for a Game 7 (possible with BKN wins in Games 5 and 6). Nets, please let us watch more basketball with you playing in said game.
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