The Chicago Bulls had the Brooklyn Nets right where they wanted them when they took a 3-1 series lead last weekend, but now the tables have turned completely. Following their 95-92 win over Chicago in Game 6 on Thursday night, the Nets now get to host Game 7 in Brooklyn. Joakim Noah does not seem concerned.
“We’re a team of fighters,” Noah said Thursday, via ESPNChicago.com. “We keep getting punched in the face but we fight back. I’m proud of this team, and we’re going to go into a hostile environment in Brooklyn and we’re going to win.”
There was really nothing else Noah could say, but the odds are stacked against Chicago at the moment. For starters, winning a Game 7 on the road is an incredibly difficult task. Nets fans will be at their loudest looking for their first playoff series win in their new building and city, which will be tough for the Bulls to overcome.
Then, there’s the issue of health. Game 7 is Saturday night. On Thursday night, Nate Robinson was puking into a trash can during timeouts and Taj Gibson was held to three points and three rebounds while battling a similar illness. Luol Deng, who underwent a spinal tap to test for viral meningitis (which came back negative), was unable to play. Noah has also been battling a foot issue that he admitted is incredibly painful at times.
Simply put, Chicago is battling illness at the worst time possible. If Robinson, Gibson and Deng are all able to recover over the next two days, there’s no reason they can’t defeat the Nets on the road. If not, Brooklyn will have the upper hand in a variety of ways.
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