Nate Robinson (R) of the Chicago Bulls tries to pass around Gerald Wallace (2nd L) and Brook Lopez (2nd R) of the Brooklyn Nets in Game Six of their Eastern Conference Playoffs at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, Thursday. — AFP





CHICAGO — The Brooklyn Nets kept their NBA playoff hopes alive Thursday with a 95-92 victory over the short-handed Chicago Bulls that forced a deciding game seven in their Eastern Conference first-round series.



In another series, the Golden State Warriors squandered an 18-point fourth-quarter lead but held on to beat the Denver Nuggets 92-88 Thursday to reach the second round of the NBA playoffs, 4-2.



Deron Williams scored 17 points and handed out 11 assists for the Nets. Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson chipped in another 17 points each and Gerald Wallace added 15 for Brooklyn, who will host the series decider Saturday.



The winner of the series will face reigning NBA champions Miami in the second round. The Heat, led by LeBron James, swept Milwaukee out of the playoffs in four games.



By again staving off elimination, the Nets gave themselves a chance to become just the ninth NBA team to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a best-of-seven series.



“We found a way to win,” said Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo. “I’ve lost track of days. Is today Saturday? Thursday? We were here last Saturday and weren’t looking real good.



“We haven’t turned the corner, but we’re looking a lot better than we looked when we left here last Saturday.” The Nets shot just 28 percent from the field in the second half, but they held on against a Bulls team playing without starting point guard Kirk Hinrich for the second straight game because of a calf injury. Chicago was also without Britain’s Luol Deng, who was sidelined by the flu.



Chicago’s Nate Robinson and Taj Gibson played through illness, Robinson scoring 18 points.



Marco Belinelli led the Bulls with 22 points, but missed a potential equalizing three-pointer on Chicago’s final possession.



Noah and Carlos Boozer each notched double-doubles, Noah delivering 14 points and 15 rebounds and Boozer contributing 14 points and 13 rebounds.



In Oakland, Stephen Curry scored 14 of his 22 points in a crucial third-quarter surge and Golden State survived some sloppy play in the final period to win the series.



Australian NBA veteran Andrew Bogut, who battled ankle pain through much of the season, contributed 14 points and 21 rebounds for the sixth-seeded Warriors, who next face the West’s second-seeded San Antonio Spurs.



The veteran Spurs ousted the injury-depleted Los Angeles Lakers in four games.



“It was a big win for us. Hopefully we can keep rolling,” said Bogut after the Warriors — in the playoffs for the first time since 2007 — nearly let the contest slip away.



Draymond Green contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds for Golden State, including six key points after the Nuggets made things interesting in the fourth quarter.



The Nuggets, who won 57 games in the regular season to earn the third seed in the Western Conference, lost all three games of the series in Oakland to bow out in the first round.



Iguodala led the Nuggets with 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Ty Lawson added 17 points. Chandler scored 11 points but connected on just 5-of-17 from the floor. — AFP