Dennis Wierzbicki – USA Today Sports
Who would have thought they would be comparing Nate Robinson to Michael Jordan? But there it is.
In Game 4 of the NBA playoffs, Robinson inspired his Chicago Bulls team to rally from 14 points behind with just four minutes to go in regulation, forcing their triple overtime and breaking the Brooklyn Nets in the Bulls’ 142-134 thriller win.
Robinson scored 23 points in the fourth quarter alone, just one point shy of Jordan’s playoff record with the franchise. Had Robinson not fouled out toward the end of the second OT, he most likely would have broken Jordan’s record.
Jordan scored 24 points in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers on May 12,1990. Jordan’s feat did not win the game for his Bulls; however, Robinson’s performance gave the team the impetus to win.
One more impressive note: Robinson worked his magic coming off the bench, setting a franchise playoff record for most points off the bench. In this Game 4, he played just under 29 minutes and led all scorers with a total of 34 points, putting the Bulls up 3-1 against the Nets.
“You have to allow yourself to feel like you can’t miss,” Robinson said to reporters after the victory. How close to being Jordan-esque is that?
The best-of-seven series returns to Brooklyn on Monday evening, with the Bulls need only one more win to slam the door shut on this series.
Hollie M. Woods is a writer for Rant Sports covering the Chicago Bulls and the NBA. “Like” her on Facebook.
