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New jerseys, same Nets; Bulls embarrass Brooklyn on Christmas Day, 95-78

By Tom Lorenzo
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls kicked off the Christmas Day slate of games, each team being without their best players in Brook Lopez and Derrick Rose, respectively, and the Bulls missing Luol Deng, who was out with a calf injury.

With this game nationally televised and with the Bulls being shorthanded, it seemed as if the Nets wouldn't let Kidd's criticism of them from Monday, in which he said they were "comfortable with losing" stand, right? Wrong. The Chicago Bulls came into Brooklyn, on Christmas Day, and embarrassed the Nets in front of justifiably angry fans, winning 95-78.

Brooklyn was looking to get back into the win column with the Bulls being shorthanded and the Nets being called out by their head coach after their embarrassing loss to the Pacers on Monday, but "as advertised," neither team found any offensive rhythm in the first half of the game. The Nets shot 33.3 percent and the Bulls, a bit better, at 45.7 percent in the first half. It also didn't help that the Nets turned the ball over 11 times before halftime.

Reggie Evans returned to the rotation to help clean up the glass, as the Nets have been getting killed in the rebounding department as of late. Evans did his job early on, grabbing nine rebounds in the first half (in just 10 minutes).

At the half, the Nets trailed the Bulls, 41-38.

Mirza Teletovic came out firing after halftime, scoring the Nets' first 10 points in the third quarter. Other than Teletovic, though, the Nets went cold once again from the floor, turned the ball over and watched as the Bulls turned those mishaps into transition buckets.

With the Nets down 61-52, Kidd took Deron Williams out of the game, and it was time for the Nets to prove that they were not resigned to losing. Well, give Kidd credit for calling it like he sees it, because the Nets played the third quarter like they were certain they were going to lose this one.

Brooklyn went 5:30 without scoring a single point in the third quarter, as the Bulls just had their way with them, scoring 36 third-quarter points and taking a 19-point lead into the fourth quarter. Game over.

Andray Blatche shot just 1-of-11 from the floor, as Pierce went 1-of-8. The Nets, as a team, shot 35.2 percent. It was about as ugly as its ever been, which seems to be a trend these days.

Brooklyn is now 9-19 and it doesn't get any easier for them. Something needs to be done. Not quite sure what, but something.

For more on the Bulls, see: Blog a Bull

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