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NEW YORK -- As the rest of his Chicago Bulls teammates got dressed and headed for the bus, Kirk Hinrich laid face down on a trainer's table in a side room as the Bulls medical staff did more work on his aching left calf. The pain and frustration on his face was palpable.

The veteran guard had expressed hope before Monday morning's shootaround that he may only have to miss one game, but his actions after Monday's game told a different story. As he dressed a few moments later and strapped on a walking boot, it looked and sounded very unlikely that he would be able to play in Thursday’s Game 6 unless a dramatic change of events occurred.

The impact Hinrich has on the game was not lost on his teammates after the Bulls' 19-point loss in Game 5. They know how much of a presence he has on and off the floor and they know they're in a bind without him.

"He's our captain," Bulls guard Nate Robinson said. "That's like Tom Brady going down and somebody has to come in and fill in for him. At the same time, you got to be ready. And I know our guys, all of us collectively, we're always ready to pick up somebody when they're down. So if Kirk plays or if he doesn't play we got to be ready regardless."

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NEW YORK -- Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau's worst fears were realized as he watched his team get outworked on the boards during Monday night's 110-91 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Instead of playing like a team that was fighting for its playoff life, the Bulls played like a team that knew it had a cushion. The Bulls got away from the hard-nosed attack they've shown throughout the season and replaced it with an inconsistent effort that made the veteran coach furious at several points.

"I feel like we made a lot of mental mistakes," Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler said. "We didn't get to all the loose balls, we didn't rebound, we didn't execute and on the defensive end we just made mistakes that we normally don't make because we got away from ourselves. It's very correctable. We know what we have to do for the next game."

The attitude is admirable, especially considering the Bulls were playing without defensive leader, and captain, Kirk Hinrich, but why in the biggest game of the season to date did the Bulls decide to play differently? The mental approach that has been so sharp for the Bulls went missing at the wrong time.

"We got a lot of banged-up guys but it's still frustrating to know that you had a chance to close it out tonight," Bulls forward Taj Gibson said. "When you look at it, we really played like a team that was really comfortable with just being (up) 3-1, instead of just putting our foot on their neck and winning the game. We just got to watch some film and regroup and grind on the next one."

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NEW YORK -- Let's take a quick look at how the Brooklyn Nets earned a 110-91 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night at the Barclays Center in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The Bulls lead the series 3-2.

How it happened: Brook Lopez paced the Nets with 28 points and 10 rebounds while Deron Williams added 21 points and dished out 10 assists to push the series back to Chicago. Nate Robinson led the Bulls with 20 points and eight assists, but for the second straight game Tom Thibodeau's defense did not hold up well. The Nets made more plays down the stretch and also made stops when they had to do so.

What it means: The Bulls' defense was not solid but the bigger issue for Thibodeau heading into Game 6 is trying to get Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng going again. The veteran pair managed just 22 points and must be more assertive on offense. The Bulls also must do a better job of containing Williams. Without Kirk Hinrich on the floor, Williams has a little more room to roam and get his teammates involved. Hinrich also provided a steady presence on offense and helped get his teammates good looks. If the Bulls have to play Thursday without Hinrich again, they must keep Williams in check and do a better job on Lopez down on the blocks. Those two players were the major difference in this game. Now the pressure will be on Thibodeau & Co. to end this one at home and not have to face a potential Game 7 back in Brooklyn.

Hits: Jimmy Butler had a solid performance with 18 points and four steals. His defense will be needed to close out this series.

Misses: According to Bulls statistician Jeff Mangurten, Deng is now 1-for-18 from behind the 3-point line in this series.

Stat of the night: The Nets outrebounded the Bulls 44-33. Brooklyn had 17 offensive rebounds.

What's next: Game 6 is Thursday night at the United Center. Tipoff is 7 p.m. CT.

NEW YORK -- Jason Collins' announcement that he is gay might have come as a shock to some around the NBA, but Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau took the news in stride.

The veteran coach has respected Collins' game from afar and was happy for the 34-year-old big man.

"I don't know Jason well," Thibodeau said. "We met with him last summer and I was very impressed with him as a person. Two close friends of mine have coached him and they've raved about him as a person, as a player and as a leader, so I didn't think it was a big deal. I was very impressed with him and my opinion of him hasn't changed one bit and I'm happy for him."

Collins' announcement in Sports Illustrated makes him the first active player in a major American team sport to come out during his playing career.

"I just think it's reflective of society," Thibodeau said. "The NBA has always been open-minded and I think it will continue to be so, so I don't see it as being a problem."

Kirk Hinrich, Collins' former teammate in Atlanta, also saw no issue with Collins’ announcement.

"It doesn't really change what kind of person he is or anything," Hinrich said. "He's a good guy and that's just who he is."

NEW YORK -- The Chicago Bulls will try to close out their series against the Brooklyn Nets without guard Kirk Hinrich, who will miss Game 5 on Monday because of a bruised left calf.

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It was a year ago, on April 28, 2012, when Derrick Rose suffered a knee injury that is still being felt by the organization, its fan base and the entire NBA.

There was 1:19 remaining in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals when Rose drove into the lane and jump-stopped. The grimace on his face was immediate as he tried to jump for a shot before crashing to the court holding his left knee.

The United Center fell silent as the worse was expected and later verified. Rose tore his ACL and would undergo surgery on May 12. The Bulls won Game 1 but would go on to lose to the eighth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in six games.

The prognosis was for Rose to take 8-12 months to rehabilitate and the process seemed to be going according to plan as periodic reports reflected steady progress. From doing basketball drills to practicing to taking full contact to scrimmaging five-on-five starting on Feb.18, Rose appeared poised to return after the All-Star break.

But suddenly the possibility that he wouldn't return this season started to surface in stories and interviews, and now it appears almost certain he won't be back at all this season.

ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell talked to many of those who were present at the time of the injury, and here are their stories:

Joakim Noah

"I just remember being up like 20 points and thinking we were going to win the championship. Even when he went down, it was weird but in my mind I was like, 'He could be out for a couple weeks and we'll be alright. We'll be ready for him to come back.'

"I even remember after the game I went to the Berto Center to go get some ice and get some treatment, I never do that, I was just so into it and then when I heard the news ... it was just hard. You know how hard we work every day, so to see him go down like that was tough. Not just for us as players but for the whole city."

“

It was a dark day. It was a dark day for us. We won that playoff game but Derrick getting hurt -- I'll probably remember that day for the rest of my life.

” -- Joakim Noah

When you first saw him on the ground what were you thinking?

"I just wanted to be there. Any time one of my teammates goes down I just try to be there for them. I didn't know how bad it was going to be. My mindset was more on just finishing the game and seeing him after."

How did you find out?

"My uncle called me. I can't believe I remember all this."

What was it like when you saw him the next day?

"It was hard, man. It was hard. I don't even like talking about it to be honest with you.

"It was a dark day. It was a dark day for us. We won that playoff game but Derrick getting hurt -- I'll probably remember that day for the rest of my life."

Carlos Boozer

(Long pause) "Truthfully, it was just sad, man. I couldn't really believe it. I was hoping it wasn't that serious but it was. Seeing him cry in the locker room, that was tough because he knew what happened already. It was tough, man. It's tough to talk about."

Did you know when he went down?

"No, I didn't know. I was just hoping it wasn't that bad. Honestly, I thought it was his ankle or something and then I realized he said it was his knee, so I was just hoping it wasn't that bad to be honest."

What was that locker room like?

"It was depressing, man. It was one of the saddest locker rooms -- we just won the game -- and it was one of the saddest locker rooms I might have ever been in."

What was the next day like for you?

"Tough, man. We really just met for a couple minutes, walked through a couple things and got out of there because everybody was down still. It was kind of like a ... it was just depressing, man."

Doug Collins:

"I was right in front of our bench and I saw him come down awkwardly and I just knew what he did -- I saw the way his leg buckled -- because I had that injury. And so I knew immediately.

"... I knew he hurt his knee and I was very sad. Obviously, it changed the playoff picture in our favor. They also lost Noah in Game 3, but Derrick Rose is a shining star and a bright light in the NBA and we miss him. He plays the game the way you're supposed to play it every night. He plays to win. He's a hometown kid who loves being in Chicago and representing his city. He's got a great family. And I'm one of these guys, I want to see the best players on the floor and so I hope he's going to be healthy soon and get back out there. Will that affect us? Yeah. But that kid needs to be out there playing basketball. He's special."

Taj Gibson:

"I remember it like it was yesterday. He was in the game, we talked about the game scheme, drew up a play for him to break down the defense and probably get a running hook, running floater -- he went down the lane, got a running floater, and just came down wrong. I was hoping it wasn't even his knee. I thought it was his ankle. He always had bad ankle problems, but he hurt his knee. We got a great win but the look on everybody's face wasn't even happy about the win. We were more like hoping that he's OK. You never want to see a teammate go out like that. But just the reaction when we got the news ... most of the guys just ran in the training room and we went into the training room and you didn't see him but we saw him come out with that disappointment look on his face it was surreal and we knew that it was something serious. That's what I remember the most."

"I just remember his face when he came out of the X-ray room and everybody was just shaking their head. It was like one of those scenes -- you're there but you don't know what's going on, but you know something was bad happening. It was one of those reactions, the whole locker room was just quiet, we heard people moving around but you hardly heard people say anything. That was crazy."

What was it like the next day?

"The next day was mellow. It was like you come in, it was quiet, real mellow and quiet. The only thing you mostly heard was the basketball. Guys just came in there and we got the news about how he was and it was cool because guys understood what they had to do but at the same time we really didn't understand like, 'What's the gameplan now?' How we got to adjust, we got to draw up different plays, we got to do different things like that. But guys were still like, 'Damn.' At the same time they were like, 'What could we have done differently? Maybe the second unit could have played a little harder, we wouldn't have had to worry about putting him back in the game.'"

"It was just a lot of stuff going on but then he was like, 'You got to man up. You got to get ready for the next game.' Things like this happen every day. But it was just tough because you go through a whole year of ups and downs, ups and downs, ups and downs, and get another blow like that to your teammate, you're like, 'Wow,' that was crazy. "


Sixers guard -- and Chicago native -- Evan Turner

"I think as big an icon as D-Rose has been to basketball and in the NBA and in Chicago, you're talking about a kid that's always been admired ... I root for every Chicago kid because you're putting on for the city and you inspire the younger kids coming up, (the injury) is traumatizing to a community. Chicago is on his back so you see him go down definitely is horrible because he's a pro's pro. You like watching him, you like seeing what he does, performing, so that was hard to watch, too."

What do you remember from that moment?

"I just thought he pulled a muscle because he didn't really react. I hear when people tear an ACL they start screaming and stuff. He didn't react or anything so I said he probably just caught a cramp because he's been playing off and on and that was it. I just figured nothing bad had happened, he never really got hurt before and then when it came out he tore his ACL, I was shocked because he didn't have any reaction."

John Paxson

"What I remember was there was excitement about the playoffs starting and us feeling that we had put ourselves in a position to make a run. And then we're sitting there just a short time away from winning Game 1 and knowing that every playoff game, that's the most important game you play, so we were going to have a 1-0 advantage.

"And then watching Derrick go down -- from that moment on I was just kind of numb -- because you knew it was bad when you saw him on the floor. And then the rest of the day was going to the hospital, staying with him and around him, and understanding that it was bad. And it was hard not to think about what that meant for our basketball team, but numb's the word to describe how I felt that day."

Gar Forman

"I remember when he first went down, because he had had several injuries during the year I thought ... I didn't have a good angle so I initially thought he had landed on someone's foot or sprained an ankle, I couldn't see that there was no one around. But then when I saw it on the TV, because we have a TV where we sit, then it was scary seeing him go down with nobody around. And then I just remember leaving the hospital and driving home and it just felt numb. That was about it."

CHICAGO -- In the midst of delivering high praise for Nate Robinson's epic performance Saturday afternoon, Carlos Boozer made a point to remember one of his Chicago Bulls teammates who usually gets lost in the shuffle of more important performances.

"Don't underestimate the game that Kirk Hinrich played tonight, man," Boozer said. "Kirk Hinrich did a hell of a job. Obviously he was guarding their best player in D-Will, playing 60 minutes or whatever he played tonight, he played the whole game it seemed like. Scored the ball for us when he had to, he got everybody involved when he had to, played amazing defense. Don't underestimate what Kirk Hinrich did tonight."

Boozer’s right. While Robinson's performance will get the headlines for the Bulls' 142-134 overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 4, and deservedly so, Hinrich's performance was almost as important. The veteran guard played almost 60 minutes, scoring 18 points and dishing out 14 assists in the memorable win. More importantly, Hinrich continued to frustrate Nets guard Deron Williams and set an early tone for his teammates. Williams would end up scoring 32 points, but Hinrich stayed in his face all day and stuck to his guns late as Williams managed just two points in the three overtimes.

"It was grueling," Hinrich admitted. "Just a total team effort tonight. It was just one of those things, we were having trouble stopping them, they were having trouble stopping us, and it ends up three overtimes later we finally get a winner."

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CHICAGO -- Joakim Noah's foot still hurts.

The emotion that comes from a thrilling triple overtime win isn't enough to make the aching in Noah’s right foot go away, but in the midst of an all-time playoff classic he managed to push away the discomfort he’s been dealing with for the last few months. The big man was only supposed to play about 30 minutes in Game 4, a 142-134 Chicago Bulls' win over the Brooklyn Nets, but as the epic contest played out it was clear that Noah would exceed the minutes limit that Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau had hoped to keep him within.

Noah ground his way to 15 points and 13 rebounds in 40 minutes in a performance that earned him a standing ovation after it was over.

"I don't think I have any minute limit right now," he said softly after the game.

Noah admitted that he did speak to the Bulls' medical staff as the game kept going and played coy when asked if he talked about his minutes limit with Thibodeau as things played out. Yet again, Noah found a way to impact the affair with an energy that continues to inspire his teammates and coaches.

"He’s doing it on will," Thibodeau said of Noah. "He hasn’t practiced, he’s feeling a little better. He was actually in the practice facility last night shooting. that’s usually a good sign. Haven’t seen that in a while."

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CHICAGO -- Let's take a quick look at how the Chicago Bulls pulled out an unbelievable 142-134 victory in triple overtime over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday afternoon at the United Center in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The Bulls lead the series 3-1.

How it happened: The Bulls trailed by 14 points with less than three minutes left in regulation. That's when Nate Robinson decided to take over. Robinson put the Bulls on his back and lifted them into the first overtime by going on a personal 12-0 run and then making a crucial pass to Carlos Boozer to tie the game. The Bulls gutted it out the rest of the way, getting huge contributions from Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng, among others. Robinson finished with 34 points in just 29 minutes before fouling out. Noah, who was supposed to play only about 30 minutes because of his plantar fasciitis, played 39 minutes, scoring 15 points and pulling down 13 rebounds. Deron Williams finished with 32 points for the Nets, but it wasn't enough.

What it means: This win not only gives the Bulls a commanding lead, but it also gives them an enormous amount of confidence because of the way they performed. They grinded this game out and never gave up despite being down by double digits down the stretch. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has always talked about how he loves the mental toughness his team shows, and that was never more evident than on Saturday. The Bulls played with the type of never-give-up attitude that has been their hallmark over the past few years. Robinson's performance was memorable, Hinrich played great over 60 minutes, Boozer and Deng were solid, and Noah played better than even Thibodeau could have hoped. This is a game that will live in the annals of Bulls' playoff history.

Hits: The Bulls shot 53.2 percent from the field. The Nets shot 49.5 percent from the field.

Misses: The Nets turned the ball over 20 times and missed 16 free throws.

Stat of the night: Robinson had 23 points in the fourth quarter. The franchise record for a points in a quarter is 24 -- set by Michael Jordan.

What's next: The series heads back to Brooklyn for Game 5 on Monday night. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. CT.

CHICAGO -- Brooklyn Nets guard C.J. Watson and Chicago Bulls guard Nate Robinson each received a technical foul in the second quarter of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals after getting tangled up and tackling each other into the scorer's table.

Officials reviewed the play and determined that no punches had been thrown and both players remained in the game.

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CHICAGO -- Luol Deng is a victim of his own success. The veteran forward is so consistent that when he has a bad game, as he did in Game 1, it's hard for the Bulls to recover. He has become so crucial to the Bulls' success that when he doesn't live up to the lofty standards, the performance is easy to spot.

When he does play well, as he did during Game 3 Thursday night, he just kind of mixes in with the rest of the players on the floor. Deng's game may not stand out, but his consistency does to his teammates. They always knew Deng would bounce back and deliver after Saturday's poor showing, and that's exactly what he did -- to the tune of 21 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in a 79-76 win over the Nets. Tom Thibodeau has repeatedly called Deng the 'glue' of his team, but his teammates just view Deng as a winner. His game isn't flashy but his teammates know that his steadiness sets him apart.

"I don't really view him as glue," Noah said. "I view him as a big piece of what we do. He played huge for us tonight, he carried us offensively, defensively, he just does everything. He's definitely a huge part of what we do."

So is Carlos Boozer -- but he doesn't have the same luxury of getting lost in the shuffle like his fellow Duke alum. Boozer is the Thibodeau-described lightning rod of the Bulls. He has the ability to take over games offensively, but he also has the ability to disappear at certain times. His enormous contract and inconsistent production during big games over the last two seasons has made him an easy target for angry fans who are always expecting more. Boozer has been mostly consistent for the Bulls this season, but there's always a fear among some in the fan base that the veteran power forward will float away in the midst of an important game. While Deng gets the benefit of the doubt because of his consistency, Boozer gets the brunt of the criticism because of his lack of it during the last two playoff runs.

The intriguing aspect of this pair is that without Derrick Rose and with Joakim Noah playing on one foot, they need Boozer and Deng to produce -- together -- more than ever. Boozer has done his part throughout the series, and was dominant at times again Thursday night scoring 22 points and pulling down 16 rebounds. He has proven that against Brooklyn he can be counted on and Thibodeau even acknowledged after the victory that the Bulls need to search him out even more and get him the ball.

"One thing about Carlos that people don't understand (is) that he does his job every day," Gibson said. "He's there early, a great teammate, he's always going to give you 110 percent in practice and he understands what it takes. He did a phenomenal job late. Like Thibs said, when we watch film, Thibs was really calling guys out and one thing about Carlos -- he responded. Thibs told him to (play more) help-side defense, step up on defense, and give support towards the point guard and he's been doing that. I think that's one of things people don't understand (about him). It's a small thing but on our team that's big for us."

With the Bulls fighting for their playoff lives, they have to count on Boozer and Deng to provide that leadership on both ends every night. Both men have risen to the occasion and they know they must continue to play at the same high level to close out this series.

"I thought Carlos hit some big shots," Deng said. "They made some runs and he just kept coming up huge. He was big for us. Carlos has been playing great and we just got to keep going to him and giving him looks. He's playing so well right now and the baskets he hit tonight were really huge. (The Nets) kind of felt like they got momentum and Carlos would come back and answer."

The same could be said of Deng's performance in the third quarter. He went on a one-man 12-0 run during the first four minutes of the second half and set the type of tone that the rest of his teammates followed.

"We just ran the same stuff," he said. "I was more aggressive coming off the pick and roll. I just hit shots. It was pretty much the same play we kept running and I just kept coming off and taking a look."

Now the Bulls head into Game 4 on Saturday with a legitimate chance to take control of the series. If they do so, everyone in the Bulls locker room knows that it will be Boozer and Deng leading the way. The two men aren't viewed the same way by the fans who cheer for them -- but they are viewed as equals at this point in the Bulls season. That's because in order for Thibodeau's team to have a chance to win, both men have to play at a high level every night. They also have to play with the type of passion that has become a staple of this Bulls' playoff run.

"Emotion, that's a big part of leadership as a whole," Bulls guard Jimmy Butler said. "So when your leaders show the most emotion, it's easy to go after and follow those guys because they give it their all, every day, every night, every possession. So I feel like when they're showing a lot of emotion it's just showing how much of a leader they are."

Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson has made somewhat of a habit of throwing down monster dunks in the biggest of games, and Thursday night proved to be no different in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Brooklyn Nets.

With the Bulls in the midst of a 19-3 run, Gibson took a pass from Nate Robinson and roared toward the basket. As he jumped, Nets forward Kris Humphries jumped with him and Gibson ended up depositing the ball into the basket on top of Humphries' head and outstretched arm at the rim. The United Center crowd went wild -- but Gibson wasn't that impressed.

"I didn't really know he was going to jump," Gibson admitted. "I just took off so far (away from the basket). I just went to try and make a play, but he jumped late. It happens. I'll take it."

Gibson didn't think it was one of his best dunks.

"There's a lot of dunks that a lot of guys didn't see this year because we're on Comcast," Gibson said. "But it's OK, I guess."

Gibson was asked about his interest in a possible dunk contest invite down the line.

"The dunk contest ... it's so tough now," he said. "There's so many gimmicks and so many different things. But I'll give it a shot. I'll be willing to give it a shot if I could. But Nate always tells me how hard it is so I don't know."

CHICAGO -- The postgame routine doesn't change for Joakim Noah these days.

It's been the same way for about three months. After finishing up his postgame media session, Noah hobbles on his aching right foot to the shower and tries to find some other place in his mind to put the pain.

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CHICAGO -- Down 17-5 midway through the first quarter the Chicago Bulls knew something had to change. This wasn't how they wanted to begin their first home playoff game, and considering what the Brooklyn Nets did to them in the first half of Game No. 1, the Bulls knew something had to change fast.

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DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose was officially ruled out of Game 3 of their playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, but coach Tom Thibodeau still refuses to shut the door on a possible return this season.

"We've said this all along," Thibodeau said. "If he's ready to come back, he's coming back. And that's no matter when it is. So if it's a week from now, great. If it's not, then that's fine too. We just got to keep moving forward."

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