Robinson lay on the floor facedown for several moments. But he soon shook his head steadied himself and rose. He then delivered a memorable and improbable playoff performance.
The Bulls trailed by 109 95 with three minutes to play in regulation when Robinson took over. He scored 12 straight points and led the Bulls on a 16 2 run to the delight of the United Center crowd.
He sank a 3 pointer then made a driving layup a jumper and all three free throws after he was fouled on a 3 point attempt. He capped his stretch with an acrobatic floater. Robinson scored 23 points in the fourth quarter his off balance runners sometimes finding the basket as if by tracking device.
Kind of like the old school game NBA Jam Robinson said referring to a video game. You make a couple and the rim s on fire or the ball s on fire. I feel like that at times.
When the Bulls had finally secured a 142 134 triple overtime victory and a 3 1 series lead over the Nets Robinson was on the bench having fouled out in the second overtime. But as he and his exhausted teammates celebrated and the crowd rocked there was no mistaking that the game belonged to Robinson the unlikely hero of a memorable battle.
Robinson arrived in Chicago last off season as a stopgap backup point guard with the superstar Derrick Rose recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Robinson s shoot first style can be seen as refreshing or headache inducing. Fans and reporters around Chicago have taken to describing him as Good Nate when the shots fall and Bad Nate when they do not.
He s a character said Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau who also coached Robinson when both were members of the Boston Celtics. You got to take the whole package. The good outweighs the bad.
Robinson said I tease Coach a lot because it seems like every shot I shoot he s mad regardless. You got to hope to make them and then he really can t say too much.
Robinson 28 does not shy away from the spotlight or big moments and relishes his lightning rod status. A Seattle native he was a first round draft pick of the Phoenix Suns out of Washington in 2005 but a draft day trade sent him to the Knicks. He played four plus seasons with the Knicks and he bounced from Boston to Oklahoma City to Golden State before arriving in Chicago.
Because he is only 5 9 he is by default the ultimate underdog and has been a fan favorite wherever he has played. His flair and colorful personality sometimes appear to overflow from his small frame.
In the first half Saturday Robinson revved up the home crowd when he became tangled with C. J. Watson after guarding him aggressively. Robinson kept fighting for the ball after the whistle and drove Watson into the scorer s table. A few shoves were exchanged. Robinson and Watson had to be separated. Each was given a technical foul.
Those plays will get you fired up Robinson said.
The unbridled exuberance has always come with the potential for big time offense. For his career Robinson has averaged 11.5 points a game in only 23.4 minutes. This year he scored 35 points against the Knicks in an April game and 34 against Denver in March. Playing mostly off the bench he surpassed 20 points 12 times during the season.
In Game 4 his final line was 14 for 23 from the field 3 for 7 on 3 point attempts and 3 for 3 from the free throw line. He scored 34 points.
That s what Nate s capable of Nets Coach P. J. Carlesimo said. Nate s one of those guys who can change a game. Whether you want to call him an X factor or whatever there s nights when he gets it going that he s very very difficult to defend.
As Robinson heated up in the fourth quarter he asked Thibodeau a noted disciplinarian not to run any plays. He said he preferred the spontaneity of a free flowing game.
Just let the ball find me he said he told his coach. It worked.
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