Nate Robinson’s legendary playoff performance against the Brooklyn Nets in 2013 ranks as one of the greatest in Bulls History
The 2012-13 Chicago Bulls were a gritty team that managed the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Head Coach Tom Thibadeau’s team had to navigate the regular season without the reigning MVP, Derrick Rose. The regular season was highlighted by the Bulls ending the Miami Heat’s historic winning streak of 27 games. The Bulls would eventually meet that Miami team in the second round of the playoffs. Before that, they had to take care of business against the newly relocated Brooklyn Nets.
With their starting point guard out for the season, the Chicago Bulls looked to Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson to carry the load. The Bulls were up 2-1 against Brooklyn in the first round. In Game 4, it was looking like the Nets were going to even up the series.
The Nets were up 9 with just over 2 minutes remaining. Robinson caught fire late and shocked the Nets to force overtime.
The United Center was shaking down the stretch. Nate Robinson recorded 23 points in the 4th quarter alone, but he didn’t stop there. The Bulls ultimately forced overtime at 111-111. Robinson ended up finishing with 34 points as the Bulls needed triple overtime to pull out the win. Full game highlights can be seen here.
This game has become one of the most memorable wins for Bulls fans in the post-Jordan era. Joe Johnson made several huge shots in overtime for the Nets, but the Bulls always had an answer.
The Nets won the next two games in this series to force Game 7 in Brooklyn. The Bulls won that game on the road, making it the first Game 7 road victory in franchise history. The Bulls advanced to face the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semi-finals and lost in 5 games.
Nate Robinson only played one season with Chicago, but his impact on the team was massive. The 5’9″ point guard was incredibly exciting throughout the 2012-13 season. The Chicago Bulls have no shortage of historic and memorable playoff moments. Nate Robinson’s performance in Game 4 against the Nets certainly ranks as one of the best.
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