The biggest game in Brooklyn's sports history will take place on Saturday night at the Barclays Center. The Brooklyn Nets have come from behind to force a Game 7 in their opening playoff series against the Chicago Bulls. They came back from a 3-1 deficit to force a home game in Brooklyn. The team is counting on the home-court advantage to get them the victory over Chicago and send them into the second round.
In 35 years, the Nets have never hosted a Game 7. The only Game 7 they have ever reached was against Detroit in 2004. Chicago was one win away for ending the Nets championship dreams back in Game 4, however the Nets have kept battling back. They could become the ninth team in history to win a playoff series after being down 301.
Chicago is struggling with health and have some uncertainty in their lineup. It was announced that Luol Deng will not play after being hospitalized for illness. He did not travel with the team. Kirk Hinrich remains uncertain after sitting two games with a calf injury. Nate Robinson and Taj Gibson are also both suffering from the flu and do not even get fans started on Derrick Rose.
The Nets are relatively healthy. Despite Joe Johnson hobbling around, they are at full-strength. The absence of Hinrich has helped the Nets in the past two games. It has opened up the offense for players like Andray Blatche and C.J. Watson to both have late game surges. The team has built double-digit leads in the last four games. In Game 6, they have 60 points in the first half alone.
The Bulls are 0-6 all-time in Game 7 road games. A few Nets players have Game 7 experience, but the team is relatively green in that area. Brook Lopez believes the team is ready to fight for a spot in the second round, something they believe they have earned. The winner of Game 7 will turn around and begin a second-round series with the Miami Heat.
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