The Brooklyn Nets snapped their five-game skid with a nail-biter of a win over the Chicago Bulls, 112-109, on Friday night. It wasn’t exactly a wire-to-wire cruise, though-Brooklyn built up a 20-point cushion only to watch it evaporate in the fourth quarter. But when it mattered most, the Nets found a way to close it out, thanks in large part to a few clutch plays down the stretch.
Now, as the Nets head to Chicago for the second leg of this home-and-home set, they’ll be shorthanded. Brooklyn has ruled out forwards Michael Porter Jr., Drake Powell, and Ziaire Williams for Sunday’s rematch, each for different reasons.
Let’s start with Williams. He’s still working through return-to-play reconditioning after missing the team’s recent three-game road swing due to illness. That kept him out of Friday’s win, and he’ll remain sidelined as the Nets continue to ease him back into game shape.
Porter, meanwhile, is getting a night off for rest. It’s the first game of a back-to-back, and given his injury history, Brooklyn is playing it safe.
And that makes sense-Porter was instrumental in Friday’s win, notching 26 points and seven rebounds, including the game-winning layup. He looked sharp, confident, and in control.
But the Nets are clearly prioritizing long-term health over short-term gain, especially with his track record.
As for Powell, he’s out as the team manages his left knee-a precautionary move as the season wears on. His stat line from Friday won’t turn heads-three points on 1-of-7 shooting with three assists-but his value went beyond the box score.
With the game on the line and the Bulls scrambling for a final shot, Powell came up huge with a deflection on an inbound pass, effectively sealing the win. It was the kind of heads-up play that doesn’t always show up in highlights but makes all the difference in crunch time.
He’s been battling through knee and ankle issues this season, but for the most part, he’s remained available when needed.
Rookie guard Ben Saraf will also be unavailable for Sunday’s game, as he continues his G League assignment with the Long Island Nets. Saraf hasn’t seen NBA minutes since December 6, and unless injuries or roster moves shake things up before the February trade deadline, it looks like he’ll stay in the developmental pipeline for now.
So the Nets roll into Chicago with some key pieces missing, but Friday’s win showed they’ve got the grit to grind one out-even if it gets a little messy. The question now is whether they can string together a second straight win, this time on the road and with a shorter bench.