Brooklyn Nets @ Chicago Bulls Game 6 Preview

The Chicago Bulls seemed positioned to eliminate the Brooklyn Nets in Game 5.  However, the Nets were able to force a Game 6, defeating the Bulls at Brooklyn.  The Bulls are still up 3-2 in the series and a win in Chicago will give the Bulls a ticket into round 2.

The Nets will hope to keep the Bulls off their game in Chicago and force the series into the full seven games.  The Nets playoff life is on the line in a must win Game 6.

Bulls point guard Kirk Hinrich is likely to miss another game due to a bruised calf.  Both Luol Den and Taj Gibson were sick as of yesterday.  Joakim Noah has been playing through a foot injury that has kept his play time limited.  All this without even mentioning the continued absence of Derrick Rose.  The Nets will be looking to be opportunistic here and do something it has failed to do all season, beat the Bulls in Chicago.  Brooklyn has lost every game they have played this season in Chicago.  They are 4-0 when on the Bulls turf in two regular season games and Game 3 and 4 of the playoffs.

The Nets need this one, but the statistics are not on their side.  Only eight teams have gone on to come back for a 3-1 deficit in a series.

“I think we’ve been confident throughout the whole series regardless of whether they were up 3-1,” Joe Johnson, Nets star, said. “The series is not over man until the first team gets four wins so at this point we’ve still got a shot. We understand that we’ve got a big task ahead of us and that’s going to Chicago and getting a win.”

The Nets last time in Chicago they blow a big double digit lead in the closing minuets and the Bulls forced an overtime, then another, then another.   In the end the Bulls came out on top thanks to an offensive run by Nate Robinson.

Robinson has been able to make up for Hinrich’s absence offensively.  Defensively is another story, though.  He was unable to slow down the Nets big scorer Deron Williams in their last game.

It has not been officially stated that Hinrich will not be playing.  He did not play during practice and has been seen limping around.

“I’m just going to try to play if I can,” Hinrich said. “That’s my goal. Whether I’ll be able to reach it or not .”With all the injuries on the Bulls squad and the fact that Deng and Williams have been under the other has caused many to criticize the continued absence of Rose.  Rose hasn’t played in over years, his last game was during last years first round playoffs.  His knee has been declared has “structurally sound” and many are wondering why he has not stepped up for the Bulls yet.

“You give a guy who has that type of character the benefit of the doubt,” Hinrich said of Rose.  “We know that he’s such a big part of this organization and this team that we trust he’s making the right decision for that and for himself.”

The Bulls are favorites according to most sports books with a point spread around -2.  The game starts at 9 p.m. ET.