by Marcel Mutoni / @ marcel_mutoni
Following a heartbreaking 95-92 Game 6 loss, Joakim Noah told the press that his underhanded Chicago Bulls weren’t fazed by a Game 7 back in hostile Brooklyn.
According to the emotional Bulls big man, there is no doubt in his mind that Chicago will win on Saturday night, and advance to the second round.
Per the Chicago Tribune :
The Nets forced that scenario with a 95-92 victory Thursday night at the United Center, secured only when Andray Blatche sank two free throws with 19.2 seconds left and Marco Belinelli missed a contested 3-pointer with 7.9 seconds remaining. Joakim Noah chased down the long rebound but stepped on the sideline for the Bulls’ 16th turnover. Noah atoned for this by tying up Deron Williams for a jump ball with 3.6 seconds remaining, which Noah won. But Joe Johnson sneaked in to secure possession and dribble out the clock.
“I’m ready to play. I want to go play right now. That’s my emotions,” a fired-up Noah said afterward. “We’re a team of fighters. We keep getting punched in the face but we fight back. I’m proud of this team. We’re going to go into a hostile environment in Brooklyn and we’re going to win.”
With seemingly every member of the Chicago Bulls sick and/or injured last night, the Brooklyn Nets barely hung on to force the deciding battle. They can be sure that this desperate and resilient Bulls team won’t go down easily.
Just ask Joakim Noah — who played a tremendous Game 6, as he tallied 14 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in 43 minutes:
“It’s going to take all of us sticking together through all kinds of adversity,” Noah said. “This has been a real hard year. But I’m really proud of this team. We’re ready to kick some ass.”
