Having lost five straight and needing a quality win in the worst way, Sasha Vujacic was the right man in the right spot for the Nets on Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls.
After the Nets led most of the way, they certainly seemed to try to let the Bulls steal the game away from them in the final frame. With the game tied, Brook Lopez lost the ball on the way to the hoop but Vujacic was there for the eventual game-winning lay up with seconds remaining to give New Jersey a 96-94 win at the Prudential Center.
Before Vujacic’s heroics, it was Kris Humphries, relegated to the bench to give rookie Derrick Favors his first NBA start, who provided the spark for the Nets to get them past one of the East’s best. The power forward finished with team highs in points (20) and rebounds (11) while shooting 10-for-15 from the field in 38 minutes. His intensity – mixed with Favors’ inability to stay on the floor due to foul trouble – made him the Nets’ key player of the night despite his tough matchup against All-Star power forward Carlos Boozer.
Devin Harris also registered a double-double in the Nets’ 10th win of the season, finishing with 18 points and 11 assists. Lopez added 14 points and Vujacic contributed 13 points off the bench.
Derrick Rose led Chicago with 21 points and Luol Deng scored 17 for the Bulls, who fell to 23-11 on the season.