The Brooklyn Nets have one more chance to extend their playoff chances. They return to the Barclays Center Monday for Game 5 against the Chicago Bulls. If they lose then their playoff dreams are officially over. Game 4 was a battle over three overtime periods that eventually led to a 134-142 loss for the Nets. They will have plenty of time to recover those sore muscles if they fail to win on Monday.
Head coach P.J. Carlesimo said the team is very aware of the mistakes it made down the stretch in the Game 4. This is the second game in the series that the Nets have kept close, only to drop it down the stretch. They could not hold on to a 14-point lead late in regulation, allowing Nate Robinson to bring the Bulls back to a win.
While Derrick Rose continues to miss out and Joakim Noah battles foot pain, Chicago will now have to deal with the absence of Kirk Hinrich, who will miss the game due to a calf injury. This could give the chance for Robinson to become a star for the second game in a row. He scored 29 points after the third quarter in Game 4, the deciding factor in Chicago's win. Robinson finished the game with 39 points total. The next highest scorer for the Bulls was Carlos Boozer with 21 points.
In the history of the NBA Playoffs, only eight teams have overcome a 3-1 deficit. The Nets have outplayed the Bulls during several stretches in this series and Carlesimo is optimistic they can do it once again to get a win a home. The coach intends on extending the rotations during Monday's game after starters like Deron Williams played 58 minutes. Every other starter played at least 48. Brooklyn hopes to keep everyone's legs fresh. Chicago will also have the same issue. Noah played 39 minutes, about 10 more than head coach Tom Thibodeau wanted from his ailing center.
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