The No. 4 Brooklyn Nets are facing the No. 5 Chicago Bulls in a series that is tied 1-1. Who will take the 2-1 lead after Game 3? Check out my predictions for this game as either the Nets or Bulls will have the series lead and just two games away from advancing to the second round.
For some reason, though they have yet to win a game in Chicago in 2013, the Nets look geared and ready to get a hold of this series. Deron Williams was the X-Factor in Game 2 since he struggled. He only scored eight points, but his court vision was still functioning as he finished with 10 assists. His shooting, though, was abysmal. Williams finished the night 1-9 and 0-5 from three.
However, Williams is confident and unfazed by the way he concluded his evening. He told reporters, "I had a bad game. It happens. Relax."
That's enough to convince me that he's going to play great basketball tonight. The fact is the Bulls are injured. They managed to win Game 2 by holding the Nets to just 35 percent shooting. The question is can they do it again? Another question, is Joakim Noah going to be healthy? Noah isn't a big time scorer, his help comes off the boards and on defense as he finished with two blocks in Game 2, but he only played 25 minutes.
Gerald Wallace also had an off night scoring just two points on 1-7 shooting. He will more than likely score more than two points in Game 3.
The Nets have the advantage and with a revamped Brook Lopez, they have a defensive presence in the paint as Reggie Evans is also a force grabbing rebounds. Joe Johnson continues to give the Nets steady performances adding 17 points, which is exactly what he needs to do game after game.
The big weapons for the Bulls are Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng. These guys really have to step it up night after night if they are going to take this series from the Nets.
Final Score Predictions: Nets win 94-86
