Preview: Bulls at Nets

[April 13, 2015]  After laying an egg on the road, Brooklyn begins a season-ending two-game homestand with a virtual must-win contest against Chicago on Monday. The Nets, who fell 96-73 in Milwaukee on Sunday, enter leading Indiana by a half-game for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with two games to play, and they own the tiebreaker with the Pacers if it comes to that.

Brooklyn has won six of its last seven home games and won at Chicago in the last meeting between the teams. The Nets will have to try to rebound from a performance in which they shot a season-low 32.5 percent from the field and turned the ball over 21 times. The Bulls have won two in a row following a 114-107 home win against Philadelphia on Saturday and will pull into this one tied with Toronto in the race for the third seed in the East. The Raptors would hold the tiebreaker due to their Atlantic Division crown.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, YES (Brooklyn)

ABOUT THE BULLS (48-32): Regardless of whether it finishes with the third, fourth or fifth seed, Chicago's postseason picture has been completely transformed with the solid return of Derrick Rose. The oft-injured superstar looked himself for the first time in Saturday's win, chipping in eight assists and three steals to go along with his 22-point effort. He has struggled this season against Brooklyn, however, posting a 35.7 percent mark from the floor in three games while averaging 3.7 assists against 4.3 turnovers.

ABOUT THE NETS (37-43): While center Brook Lopez was held under 20 points for just the third time in his last 14 games with a 12-point effort at Milwaukee, swingman Joe Johnson continued an ill-timed swoon. He was held to nine points while missing all four of his 3-point attempts for his fifth single-digit effort in seven games this month. His scoring average and shooting percentage have fallen each of the last two months, which stands in opposition to last season, when he finished strong before carrying the Nets in the first two rounds of the postseason.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Bulls C Pau Gasol has 52 double-doubles, the most for Chicago since Charles Oakley had 53 in 1986-87.

2. Nets SG Alan Anderson has missed five straight games with an ankle injury.

3. Lopez and Johnson combined for 49 points on 60 percent shooting and 16 rebounds in the win at Chicago on Dec. 30.

PREDICTION: Nets 101, Bulls 100

Word Count: 421

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