Playoffs Game #6, Series#1 Recap: Nets 95, Bulls 92. The One Where Game 7 Was Forced

Each member of the Nets' Big Three (Joe, Deron, Brook) scored 17 points as Brooklyn stunned the United Center crowd to force a Game 7 with the Bulls

Well, they did it, somehow. It wasn't easy, was nerveracking, and was unsure throughout, but the Nets' first-ever road playoff win as a Brooklyn team did the job, to be certain. Coming into tonight's pivotal Game 6, the Nets knew that they just had to outwork and hit a few more shots than the shorthanded Bulls, without Kirk Hinrich (calf) and Luol Deng (viral infection).

The Nets, as they have done for much of this series, started off the night very hot rom the floor, scoring a stunning 33 1st-quarter points against a Chicago team known for its stifling defense. That offense continued over to the 2nd quarter, after which the score was set at 60-54 in the Nets' favor after a late Marco Belinelli three-pointer at the end of the half brought the lead down from nine.

The 2nd half took a much slower pace than the first did, allowing the Bulls–who play a slower pace and tend to score less than the Nets–to climb right back into the game, cutting the Brooklyn lead to four after the 3rd quarter and to two towards the tail end of the 4th quarter, the home stretch of this game. But at the 2:45 mark of the 4th, with the Nets up four, a Deron free-throw-split allowed a Belinelli three (accounting for three of his 22 points) to bring the score to 90-88,just about as close as it was the whole night.

Then, after alternating Brook and Boozer misses, a circus-like layup from Andray Blatche (the undoubted x-factor in this one) off the glass–really, would you expect anything else from 'Dray?–gave the Nets some cushion with a two-possession lead that would soon be cut in half by a Nate Robinson jumper. A Boozer loose ball foul (his 6th and final foul) and a Blatche 1-2 outing from the line later, and the ubiquitous Nazr Mohammed (just subbing for Boozer) hits a wide-open layup off a great Joakim Noah feed, cutting the Brooklyn lead to just one. Blatche would redeem himself with the game's clinching free throws as a Chicago missed three (from Net-killer Belinelli) and Noah turnover finished out the game, sealing another crazy and wild Nets win.

Some other observations I had from the game: #ReggieEvansPlayoffReboundWatch: 15 in 29 minutes. Just what the doctor ordered, especially considering how Boozer and Noah commanded the glass much of the game…..Gerald Wallace, who scored 15, hit two more incredibly-momentous threes in this game, continuing his  unlikely playoff run of clutch shots. Even with one attempt airballing terribly, the confidence looks to be back in Gerald as he's playing more active on defense and throwing down some massive dunks when he gets the chance. When he plays well, it's hard for this team to lose…..Turnovers: Bulls 16, Nets 9. The turnover disparity played a huge role in Game 6 as Brooklyn was able to run a bunch more effective offensive sets for points because they weren't losing possession due to as many stupid passes and fouls as normal…….The Nets were still able to win despite hitting just 67 percent of their free throws (22-33). That's 11 points right there that they just threw away.

Looking Ahead

Game 7 is now on Saturday at 8:00 pm in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center. A Rihanna concert scheduled for that date, time, and place was rescheduled for this game. Can we make it count, Nets? I know a win would put us in a series with the unstoppable Heat, but I'd rather get swept than not make the 2nd round at all.