The Chicago Bulls bench including Nate Robinson (2) and Joakim Noah, center right, celebrates a basket against the Brooklyn Nets during the third overtime in Game 4 of their first-round NBA basketball playoff series Saturday, April 27, 2013, in Chicago. The Bulls won 142-134 in three overtimes. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls wiped out a 14-point deficit late in regulation and beat the Brooklyn Nets 142-134 in triple overtime to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round NBA playoff series on Saturday.
The Bulls were trailing 109-95 with less than 4 minutes to go in the fourth quarter when Nate Robinson put the Bulls on his back and carried them to the wild victory.
He scored all but five of his 34 points after the third quarter, including the first 12 in a 14-0 run that wiped out the deficit. Then, with 2 seconds left in the first overtime, he banked in a go-ahead jumper over Deron Williams.
Joe Johnson answered with one of his own to send it into a second overtime, tied at 121. The Bulls had a chance to win in the closing seconds of the next extra session, but Joakim Noah was blocked, and the game went to a third overtime.
The Bulls finally pulled away after Williams (32 points) drove for a layup to pull Brooklyn to 133-130 — the only points for him after regulation — with 3 minutes left.
Luol Deng answered with a basket to make it a five-point game, and Nazr Mohammed came up with two baskets in the final 32 seconds to help preserve the win.
The Bulls will try to wrap up the best-of-seven series at Brooklyn on Monday. The Nets are going to have to dig deep to win three in a row after they wasted a prime chance to draw even with Chicago and steal back home-court advantage.