Nets top Bulls to force Game 7

Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and Joe Johnson each scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets again avoided elimination, beating the shorthanded Bulls, 95-92, Thursday in Chicago to tie their first-round series at three games apiece.

The series goes back to Brooklyn for Game 7 on Saturday.

The Bulls hung in until the end even though they were missing Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich.

A layup by Nazr Mohammed cut the Nets' lead to 93-92 with 25.2 seconds remaining.

Nate Robinson then fouled Andray Blatche, who had missed a free throw only moments earlier. This time, he hit both to make it a three-point game with 19.2 seconds left.

The Bulls had a chance to tie it, but Marco Belinelli missed a three-pointer, and Joakim Noah stepped out of bounds with about six seconds left.

Golden State coach Mark Jackson was fined $25,000 by the NBA for making comments in an attempt to influence the officiating in the Warriors' playoff series with Denver.

After Golden State's loss at Denver on Tuesday, Jackson repeatedly mentioned Kenneth Faried's foul in the first half, when the Denver forward stuck out his right leg and moved his body while Warriors star Stephen Curry ran through traffic.

David Kahn is out as president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Flip Saunders is coming in.

The Timberwolves announced that owner Glen Taylor has decided not to pick up the option for next season on Kahn's contract. Three people with knowledge of the situation told the AP that Taylor is putting the finishing touches on a deal to hire Saunders as Kahn's replacement.

Phil Jackson will help the Detroit Pistons search for a head coach. The Pistons said that Jackson will serve as an adviser.

"Phil Jackson is a friend and one of the best minds in the business," Pistons owner Tom Gores said. "We are thrilled to have him as an adviser as we make some very important decisions for this franchise."

- Associated Press