Number 1: The “Nate Robinson Game”
April 27, 2013, Game 4 of the First Round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs
Chicago Bulls: 142
Brooklyn Nets: 134
Final/3OT
The Situation:
In a season without injured star Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls entered the 2013 playoffs with a 45-37 record, good for a five seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls entered this game up 2-1 in the series. With a bit of luck and whole lot of Nate Robinson, the Chicago Bulls pulled off one of the most remarkable comebacks in franchise history.
The Game:
After trailing for the entirety of the fourth quarter, the Chicago Bulls found themselves down fourteen with just under three minutes remaining in the game. At this moment, Bulls backup point guard Nate Robinson caught fire igniting an improbable comeback. The 5’9″ guard scored 23 of the Bulls 35 points in the fourth quarter. The first two overtimes were evenly played, obviously, before the Chicago Bulls pulled away by eight points in the final overtime to end the game.
Quotable:
Nate Robinson had the following to say about his 34 point Herculean effort to lead the Bulls to a triple overtime win against the Brooklyn Nets.
"I always think I’m on fire, kind of like the old school game NBA Jam. You make a couple in a row, the rim’s on fire. You shoot the ball, the ball’s on fire. I feel like that at times — all the time. Whenever I’m in the game, I just play with a lot of confidence. You kind of have to lie to yourself and feel like you can’t miss. I tease Coach (Tom Thibodeau) a lot because it seems like every shot I shoot he’s mad. At the same time, it’s basketball. He does a great job of putting us in position to be successful. –Quote obtained by the Associated Press; published on ESPN’s website on April 27, 2013"
The Chicago Bulls beat the Brooklyn Nets in seven games advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals where they eventually fell to the Miami Heat 4-1. The Chicago Bulls chose not to re-sign Robinson and he ended up signing a 2-year contract valued at $4 million with the Denver Nuggets during the summer of 2013. The following season, he tore his ACL ending his season prematurely. He currently isn’t on an NBA roster.
YouTube user Lake Show Hoops created a commemorative video of Nate Robinson’s time with the Chicago Bulls. The video highlights his fearless attitude towards the game and the passion that he played with–two qualities that epitomized his time with the Chicago Bulls during the 2012-2013 season.
This game remains one of the most striking examples of individual effort and determination in Chicago Bulls history.
Next: Conclusion