NEW YORK - Joakim Noah had 24 points and 14 rebounds, Marco Belinelli added 24 points and Chicago beat Brooklyn 99-93 on Saturday night in Game 7 of their first round series.
Carlos Boozer added 17 points as the Bulls shook off injuries to two starters and every run the Nets tried to make in the second half to win a Game 7 on the road for the first time in franchise history. They advanced to a second-round series against defending champion Miami that starts Monday night.
The Bulls opened a 17-point lead going into halftime with a rare offensive outburst, and found a way to get big baskets every time the Nets pulled close to win the NBA’s only do-or-die game of the first round.
“We took a big punch in Game 1 and we kept fighting back, and that’s been the story of the season,” Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau said.
Deron Williams had 24 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds for the Nets, who were trying to become the ninth NBA team to win a series after trailing 3-1.
But they had a horrendous first-half defensive performance and Joe Johnson (Little Rock Central, Arkansas Razorbacks) was bad all game on offense, finishing with 6 points on 2-of-14 shooting, including 1 of 9 from three point range.
With Luol Deng (illness) and Kirk Hinrich (bruised left calf) out again, the Bulls leaned on Noah, who could barely play when the Bulls were blown out here two weeks ago in Game 1 but logged 41 minutes and made 12 of 17 shots, then still had enough energy to climb over the baseline seats for a long embrace with his mother.
Noah, who grew up and played in high school here, helped the Bulls spoil the Nets’ first home Game 7 in franchise history at the end of their first season in Brooklyn. They had played only one Game 7 in all their years while they were based in New Jersey, falling at Detroit in 2004.
Chicago improved to 1-6 in road Game 7s.
Deng, tested for meningitis earlier in the week, was back in the hospital Friday night and unable to travel. Hinrich warmed up in hopes of playing before he was ruled out.
It didn’t matter to the Bulls, who backed up Thibodeau’s vow that they would have no excuses and play well.
Coming out ready to work, the Bulls got their first two baskets on offensive rebounds by Boozer and Noah and they led most of the first quarter before bringing a 29-25 lead to the second on Taj Gibson’s jumper with 0.8 seconds left.
It was 40-36 before the Bulls took control with solid offensive execution and poor Nets defense. Noah had consecutive baskets before seldom-used Daequan Cook made a three-pointer to cap an 11-2 run. After a basket by Andray Blatche, Boozer, Nate Robinson and Noah ran off the next six points to give Chicago a 57-40 lead as the crowd began to boo.
“I think we weren’t as aggressive as they were, especially on the boards and the defensive end in the first half,” Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said.
The Bulls capped it with a stunningly easy dunk by Boozer with 1.2 seconds left off an inbounds pass, sending the Bulls to the locker room with a 61-44 advantage.
Brooklyn burst out of the locker room with a 10-4 run, and back-to-back three-pointers later in the third period by Gerald Wallace kicked off an 11-2 surge that pulled the Nets to within 69-65 on Williams’ free throw with 5:29 left.
Jimmy Butler hit a three-pointer and Robinson scored to steady the Bulls and push the lead back to nine,and they led 82-75 going into the fourth quarter.
The Nets opened the fourth with just one point in the first five minutes as consecutive baskets by Boozer pushed the lead back into double digits. The Nets kept trying to get back in it, getting it all the way down to four on a three-pointer by Williams with 26 seconds left, but Belinelli hit four free throws from there.
Brook Lopez had 21 points and nine rebounds and Wallace finished with 19 points for the Nets, who finished a successful first season in Brooklyn in a disappointing way, getting booed late in the first half while allowing Chicago to make eight of its final 12 shots.
Robinson finished with 12 points in his second consecutive start in place of Hinrich.
NBA playoffs glance FIRST ROUND
FRIDAY’S GAMES
New York 88, Boston 80 New York wins series 4-2
Indiana 81, Atlanta 73 Indiana wins series 4-2
Oklahoma City 103, Houston 94 Oklahoma City wins series 4-2
Memphis 118, LA Clippers 105 Memphis wins series 4-2
SATURDAY’S GAME
Chicago 99, Brooklyn 93 Chicago wins series 4-3
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
TODAY’S GAMES All times Central
Memphis at Oklahoma City, noon First game of series
Indiana at New York, 2:30 p.m.
First game of series
MONDAY’S GAMES
Chicago at Miami, 6 p.m. First game of series
Golden State at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. First game of series
Sports, Pages 21 on 05/05/2013