The game was never really close save for the first few minutes. Once the Nets got going, they were not to be denied a victory in Brooklyn's first postseason game since the 1956 World Series. An 11-point deficit after the first quarter was still manageable, but the second quarter sent it spiraling out of control as the Nets made 16 of 20 field-goal attempts. Deron Williams' bucket with only a couple seconds left before the break made the score 60-35 at the break and sent the Barclays Center crowd into a frenzy. The second half was merely a formality.
Four Nets starters and two bench players scored in double figures. Williams was the main guy with 22 points and seven assists with Brook Lopez just behind with 21. Their main weapon was their shooting and it showed. Williams was 9-of-15, Joe Johnson 7-of-13 and even C.J. Watson, whom I criticized quite a bit in last year's playoffs, haunted his old teammates by going 6-of-8 from the field. Lopez made all seven of his free throws in addition to a 7-of-15 shooting game. Gerald Wallace was perfect from the field in the first half. Reggie Evans also had himself a game, grabbing 13 rebounds despite totaling just five points. Few teams would have been able to keep up with how hot Brooklyn was.
The silver lining for the Bulls besides Noah's mere presence was Carlos Boozer, who led all scorers with 25 points and also had eight rebounds and four assists to pace the team. Nate Robinson scored 17 off the bench while 13 each came from Jimmy Butler and Marco Belinelli. There, you see the first thing that went wrong for the Bulls. When you see two bench players near the top of your scoring list, that usually means things went wrong. Luol Deng, quiet in Wednesday's season finale with the Wizards with five points, was ineffective again with six. Kirk Hinrich managed only two assists before exiting with a thigh injury. While Noah deserves all the credit for toughing out his plantar fasciitis, you could clearly tell he was laboring. Unfortunately, that's not likely to improve in this series barring that sign from God Derrick Rose has been waiting for. He's going to need a lot more help in slowing down Lopez.
Things can only improve for the Bulls from here. It's hard to imagine a Tom Thibodeau team playing this flat throughout a series just as it is for the Nets to stay this hot from the field. This night was also meant to be for Brooklyn. After more than half a century without a professional sports team, it would have been almost criminal to welcome playoff action back there with no victory to show for it.
Now that the festivities are over, it's time for the Bulls to really get serious and steal a game on the road. To do that, they'll need to do a few things. First, Deng must be reestablished as an offensive threat. He's not the player you build your team around, but without him, the Bulls are nothing. Two straight games with little production out of him is unacceptable. Second, the passing lanes need to be taken away or Williams will be free to dictate the tempo of the game. Even with Rose out for the year, the Bulls should know as well as any team that even the point guard can turn the tide if he has the skill set, which Williams does. Finally, slow down Lopez. He's going to take every advantage he can with Noah not completely healthy. Double-team him often and force him into earning his points.
Game 2 will tip off tomorrow night. Win and the series shifts to Chicago all even. Lose and you find yourself in a must-win Thursday. I'm rather optimistic that the tide can be turned. Thibodeau won't allow his team to back down this early to an opponent this even with them.
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