They were as healthy as they’ve been in years, three to be exact, and had a 12-game winning streak, but the Brooklyn Nets ran into a hot Chicago Bulls teams and lost, 121-112 in Chicago Wednesday night.
The Nets are now 25-13 and a game behind the Celtics in the East. The winning streak was the longest in the NBA this season. The Mavericks who’ve won seven straight now hold the NBA’s longest winning streak.
The loss was marked by another great game from Kevin Durant who scored 44 points on 15-of-22 shooting, including 5-of-9 from deep. However, KD got little help with only three other Nets scoring in double-figures. Kyrie Irving finished with 25, but shot only 1-of-8 from three and 10-of-24 overall. Seth Curry had his best game of the season, playing 27 minutes and scoring 22 points. Nic Claxton was the only other Net in double figures, with 11 points, six boards and thee blocks.
But the night was also marked by some uncharacteristic failings by players who had been key parts of the Brooklyn winning streak. Royce O’Neale who came into the game shooting 42% from three finished 0-of-8 and wound up scoreless. Yuta Watanabe who picked up three quick fouls in the first quarter played only six minutes and scored a single point. And T.J. Warren left the game in the third with a left rib contusion also going scoreless in 14 minutes.
In fact, the Nets problems started on the perimeter. For the game, they were 12-of-37 for the game, a miserable 32.4% but their problems were not limited to deep shooting. The Bulls outrebounded them, 54-40 and of their 40 field goals, only 24 were assisted.
The game was marked by hot shooting by the Bulls and an inability by the Nets to get over the hump. The Bulls, who are masters of the mid-range, shot 73.9 percent in the first quarter, going out to a 40-33 lead, the Bulls hitting a surprising 4-of-7 from 3-point range along the way.
The Bulls continued piling it on, going up 64-46 with 3:47 left in the half before KD decided to take things in hand, going on a personal 13-5 run that included two steals and a couple of blocks as well. In fact, Durant scored a season-high 28 points in the first half keeping Brooklyn in the game. Still, by halftime, the Nets were down 10.
They made a bit of a run in the third, but never got closer than three points in the quarter and the Bulls, who have had reputation for falling apart in the fourth didn’t.
Nikola Vucevic, a noted Nets killer, got behind the Nets front line over and over again finishing with 21 points and 13 rebounds, but the Bulls two forwards, DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams both tallied 22 points in the contest. Zach Lavine who also has been known to give the Nets fits, finished with 13 points. In all, six Bulls finished in double figures.
The game was notable for the Nets clean injury report. For the first time since the Clean Sweep in 2019, the Nets status report contained no illnesses or injury. The Nets two two-ways, David Duke Jr. and Alondes Williams as well as Kessler Edwards and Day’Ron Sharpe, were assigned to Long Island, but they too were health.
What’s next?
The Nets head down the Mississippi for a game Friday night vs. the Zion Williamson-less Pelicans in New Orleans. The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
For a different perspective on tonight’s game, go to Blog-a-Bull, our SB Nation sister site.
- Box Score: Chicago Bulls 121, Brooklyn Nets 112 – NBA
- Game Highlights; Chicago Bulls 121, Brooklyn Nets 112 (Video) – NBA