Brad Penner-USA Today Sports
Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for the Brooklyn Nets between Games 2 and 4 of their first round playoff series against the Chicago Bulls.
When Bulls guard Nate Robinson entered the same sentence as Michael Jordan in that roller coaster of a Game 4, lifting Chicago to their third consecutive win of the series, you knew Murphy’s Law was a real thing.
Yet even with all of that, the Nets not only have a chance to overcome the 3-1 deficit they dug themselves into as they enter Game 7, they should be the favorites considering they have all the momentum with back-to-back wins with their backs against the wall and homecourt advantage.
But how did Brooklyn get here? What was the biggest change they made?
Well, although the Nets have shown great resiliency late in this series, the biggest reason for their recent success really doesn’t have much to do with their efforts.
Once the Bulls began facing injuries and a “flu-like symptoms” bug, everything began to swing in Brooklyn’s favor. Also, this doesn’t account for Derrick Rose, who’s missed every game this season after going down with an injury in last year’s postseason.
Guard Kirk Hinrich was having the series of his life before coming out of the lineup the last two games with an injured left calf. His averages in the first four games weren’t staggering by any means, 11.3 points and 5.8 assists per game, but his ability to contain guard Deron Williams as both a scorer and facilitator for prolonged stretches by keeping him out of the paint was imperative to Chicago’s chances of winning.
And when forward Luol Deng was a late scratch from Game 6, you knew the Bulls were going to miss him dearly. Not only is he one of the league’s elite one-on-on defenders, but the 13.8 points he averaged in the first five games of the series were crucial for a Chicago team that lacks any real offensive firepower in their starting unit without Rose. He has been ruled out for Game 7 as he is still hospitalized.
Robinson and forward Taj Gibson were also under the weather entering Game 6, but that didn’t hinder Chicago too much, as the two combined for 21 points.
If Hinrich joins Deng in being unable to lace them up on Saturday night, it might just be the difference maker in the game, and the series, going to the Nets.
Mike B. Ruiz is a Brooklyn Nets writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @mikebruiz and “Like” him on Facebook.
