Mar 13, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Johnson (45) defends Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) during the first quarter at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images
Through a dissaponting start to the month of March for the Brooklyn Nets, no contest carried more weight than a road battle with the Chicago Bulls. With potential playoff implications on the line, the Eastern Conference rivals needed this win for separate reasons.
The Nets, hoping to make a last-ditch effort to secure the final play-in spot, had the chance to shave a game off of the Bulls’ five-game lead. Chicago, firmly onto the 10-seed, looked to create even more separation. In the end, Brooklyn again blew a perfect opportunity to close out a quality foe, falling 116-10.
Cam Thomas led the Nets with 24 points and a career-high 10 assists.
Seeking to clinch the season series and fight toward the postseason, Brooklyn came out with purpose. Head coach Jordi Fernandez’s group opened the contest up 8-0, asserting its early dominance over a banged-up Bulls squad. Behind the hot shooting of Tyrese Martin (3-of-4 from three), the Nets gut-punched the hosts’ early, but their lead wouldn’t last.
Coby White — who’s averaged just over 28 points per game through his last six appearances — willed Chicago back from the quick deficit. Thanks to he and Patrick Williams, Brooklyn’s eight-point advantage evaporated into a one-point hole come the first quarter’s end.
In a second quarter that was as tightly-contested as possible, neither team was able to jump out to any sort of a lead until the waning seconds of the first half. With just under a minute to play, Nikola Vucevic connected on a six-footer to break a 60-60 tie. Merely 15 seconds later, Cam Thomas buried a step-back triple before assisting Cam Johnson, creating a three-point Nets cushion heading into halftime.
Through two quarters of play, Thomas had 15 points and eight asists, tying his career-high in the latter category while appearing far more comfortable in his fifth game back from a hamstring injury.
Out of the break, United Center fans were treated to a mini Nic Claxton takeover. Only ahead by three, Claxton went on a 5-0 run all by himself, finally putting Brooklyn ahead by multiple posssessions. Eventually, the lead rose to 10, but non-basketball dramatics allowed Chicago to cut its deficit back to single-digits.
At the 7:32 mark, Thomas was hit with a flagrant foul on Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis, putting a quick pause on the Nets’ newfound momentum. However, the over-aggresiveness didn’t hurt Brooklyn much. Johnson came right back down the floor to sink a right wing three-pointer, extending the gap back to 11. Courtesy of a fantastic defensive showing in the third quarter, the visitors owned a 10-point edge with 12 minutes to play.
Chicago has won three-straight for a reason, and showed exactly why as the fourth quarter got underway. White drilled a deep-range bomb before driving in for a layup, erasing the Nets’ comfortable advantage down to three. The Bulls then began working the interior, resulting in a game-tying post hook from Zach Collins with just over seven minutes to play.
From that point, Brooklyn went completely cold. In the final four minutes of regulation, it mustered just six points, a stark contrast to Chicago’s 15. White and the Bulls put together a game-changing 8-0 run in the closing stages, preventing the Nets from closing out what would’ve been yet another massive victory.
Now a full six games behind Chicago for the Eastern Conference’s 10-seed, Brooklyn’s next opportunity to forget about its current 1-8 stretch in its last nine games will be a Tuesday night home showdown with the Boston Celtics.
To access the final box score from the Nets’ loss to the Bulls, click here.
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