SEASON SAVER: Gerald Wallace, who hit two key baskets down the stretch to seal the win, blocks a shot by Nate Robinson as the Nets forced Game 6 on Thursday. (Getty Images)
One down, two to go.
The Nets took the first step toward trying to escape from a 3-1 deficit in their first-round series against the Bulls with a 110-91 victory in Game 5 in front of a sellout crowd of 17,732 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The series now shifts back to Chicago for Game 6 on Thursday, as the Nets try to become the ninth team in NBA history to recover from down 3-1 in a best-of-seven series.
“We have to stay aggressive,” said Gerald Wallace, who finished with 12 points — including five in a quick burst with about two minutes remaining that sealed the win. “Right now, it’s win or go home. Like the coaches say, we’re in an NCAA Tournament right now, so every game counts, every possession counts.
“We just have to come out and play hard. … I don’t think any of the guys are ready to go home yet.”
It was unclear whether the Nets would be able to recover from allowing a 14-point lead with three minutes remaining in Game 4 to slip away following a scoring explosion from Bulls guard Nate Robinson and eventually losing in triple-overtime.
