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DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich, still hampered by a bruised left calf, is "likely out" of Game 6 of their first-round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, coach Tom Thibodeau said.

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Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich "didn't do much" at practice on Wednesday and is considered a game-time decision for Game 6 against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday with a bruised left calf, according to coach Tom Thibodeau.

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NEW YORK -- The Chicago Bulls lost Game 5 – but you can’t blame the replacements.

With Derrick Rose continuing to sit, and fellow starting guard Kirk Hinrich joining him on the sideline with a calf injury, coach Tom Thibodeau gave Nate Robinson a starting nod on Monday, along with second-year man Jimmy Butler.

Both played well, keeping the Bulls within striking distance until the final four minutes, when the Nets pulled away for a 110-91 victory.

Robinson scored a team-high 20 points, shooting 9-for-19 from the field, and also had eight assists. Butler scored 18 points, and had four steals as well.

Thibodeau said that rebounding was the difference in the game. The Nets outboarded the Bulls 44-33, including 17-11 on the offensive glass, and had a 24-12 advantage in second-chance points.

“Right from the start of the game I knew [the Nets] were reacting to the ball quicker than we were,” Thibodeau said. “So I was concerned about that right from the beginning. And it never changed.”

Robinson received the loudest boos of any of Chicago’s five starters during the pregame introductions -- not surprising, considering he sparked the Bulls’ incredible comeback in Game 4 with an electrifying 34-point performance, including 23 points in the fourth quarter.

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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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CHICAGO -- Late in this hard-fought playoff game, with the Chicago Bulls on his back and Tom Thibodeau’s breath on his neck, Nate Robinson couldn’t cool down.

If you’ve ever wondered what goes on between Robinson’s ears when he plays his special brand of basketball, just think of the announcer’s voice on NBA Jam.

“I always think I’m on fire,” he said after scoring 34 points in the Bulls’ wild 142-134, triple-overtime victory over the Brooklyn Nets. “Like the old school game, NBA Jam, you make a couple and the rim’s on fire and when you shoot the ball, the ball’s on fire. I feel like that at times. Well, all the time. When I’m in the game, I play with a lot of confidence and you kind of got to lie to yourself that you can’t miss.”

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Flip Saunders breaks down a critical mistake by the Nets in the fourth quarter that changed the momentum in the Bulls' 3OT win.

The Brooklyn Nets looked to be on their way to evening this series, with a 14-point lead late in the fourth quarter. But an epic comeback powered by Nate Robinson, thwarted the Nets efforts and made for a remarkable victory for the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls now hold a commanding 3-games-to-1 series lead in the series. Let’s delve into the statistical recap.

A long game’s journey into night
This was the seventh playoff game in NBA history that went at least triple-overtime. Only one playoff game went quadruple overtime, a game between the Boston Celtics and Syracuse Nationals in 1953.

The game went long enough that all 10 starting players scored at least 15 points. The Elias Sports Bureau notes that since starts were tracked in 197y0-71, this was only the second playoff game in which that happened. The other instance was in 1987 in a double-overtime game between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks,


The Bulls scored a team record 142 points, the most by any team in a playoff game since 1992, when the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Phoenix Suns, 153-151 in the highest combined scoring playoff game in NBA history.

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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."

If you're waiting for the Bulls to hit all their free throws down the stretch or turn a 14-point fourth-quarter lead into a rout, even at home, stop. If you're thinking the Bulls are going to win these playoff games with a flourish, don't. They're not going to overwhelm anybody, they're not going to win going away or do anything that suggests they have control of a series. They're not that team. Too many injured knees and feet, too much rust, too offensively challenged even if healthy.

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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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CHICAGO -- Let's take a quick look at how the Chicago Bulls pulled out a 79-76 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night at the United Center in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The Bulls lead the series 2-1:

How it happened: Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng led the way for the Bulls all night. Boozer racked up 22 points, 16 rebounds and 3 assists while Deng added 21 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists of his own. After getting down 17-5 to start the game, the Bulls controlled the tempo and did whatever they wanted on both ends. Kirk Hinrich once again played solid defense on Nets guard Deron Williams and set the tone for the rest of the night. Williams finished with 16 points, but Hinrich's persistence didn't allow the Nets to set up the way they would have liked.

What it means:The Bulls played exactly the type of game they were hoping for. They were the more aggressive team and played to their strengths. Their defense didn't let up and clogged up lanes all over the floor -- forcing the Nets into shots and plays they didn't want to make. Boozer's and Deng's play has to make coach Tom Thibodeau feel very good about the rest of this series. They were seeking their own shot and made plays when the Bulls needed them. With the way the Bulls' defense has played -- and the Nets continue to shoot -- Thibodeau and his team have to feel very good about their chances heading into Game 4.

Hits: Hinrich had 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, but it was his defense that was on point again.

Misses: Joakim Noah was 0-for-7 from the field, but his teammates fed off his presence on the floor and he managed to pull down eight rebounds on one foot.

Stat of the night: The Nets shot just 22.5 percent from the field in the first half.

What's next: Game 4 is Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. CT in the United Center.

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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