Brooklyn at Chicago

The Brooklyn Nets came out hot in game three and opened up a 17-5 lead in the first five and a half minutes. They were then stopped dead in their tracks as Chicago turned up the defensive heat and held the Nets to 59 points over the last 42 and a half minutes. The Bulls will take that lesson to heart in game four. While they may not hold the Nets to 1-25 shooting for over a quarter in the first half, the message is clear, and the Nets are going to face a much tougher defense to start this game. The Bulls have won four of the six games between these teams on the season. Even though four of the six were played in Brooklyn, the oddsmakers say these teams are even, which hasn't been the case. Since scoring 60 points in the first half of the opener Brooklyn has managed just a total of 204 points in five halves of basketball since, an average of just 40.8 per half. The Bulls have cashed seven of their last ten vs. a winning team and have the defense to continue having success vs. this Nets team. I look for them to have the defensive "A" game on the court early here. Play on Chicago and the first half UNDER.