The opening round playoff series between the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets just got interesting after the Bulls were able to pull out a win Brooklyn. The series heads to Chicago tied up 1-1. Both teams have ailing super stars as Joakim Noah continues to suffer from plantar fasciitis and Joe Johnson can relate after feeling the same pain in his foot. Johnson sat out of practice on Wednesday and was deemed a game-time decision.
Noah is appearing to be slightly healthier as he was able to participate in most of the Bulls' practice. As long as he does not suffer a setback, he should be able to play more than the 25 minutes he contributed in Game 2. Noah was responsible for a spark in Chicago's offense that was missing in Game 1. He put up 11 points and 10 rebounds in the Game 2 win. Head coach Tom Thibodeau said that Noah will remain limited in minutes in Game 3. The center is still attempting to rehab after missing significant playing time during the final stretch of the regular season. The injury has been lingering around since midseason. He has missed 15 games since February.
Brooklyn could be in trouble if Johnson in unable to go in Game 3 as he is one of the team's leading scorers. The Nets shot 35 percent in Game 2, going 4 of 21 from beyond the arc. Deron Williams was particularly bad, missing all five 3-point attempts. The Nets have found success when playing on the road, going 23-18 during the regular season. Chicago on the other hand has more losses at home than any other team, going 24-17.
Johnson notes that the team needs to rebound from the loss quickly and play well on Thursday night. He said the team plays very poised on the road and he imagines a bounce back will not be difficult. Nets fans can only hope that he is on the court to give the team a chance at taking a 2-1 lead.
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