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Nets give Bulls golden chance at playoffs by resting Lin, Lopez

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

With one tweet, it appears the Chicago Bulls may waltz down the hardwood and into the playoffs instead of enduring a decisive Wednesday night battle at the United Center.

The Brooklyn Nets will rest a healthy Trevor Booker, Jeremy Lin, and Brook Lopez for Wednesday's season finale. Quincy Acy, Joe Harris, and Sean Kilpatrick are all out with injuries.

In theory, Brooklyn (20-61) could play spoiler for the Bulls, knocking them out of a tie for the final seed in the Eastern Conference. Chicago's currently locked in with the Miami Heat for eighth.

After all, the Nets beat Chicago on Saturday in New York, putting the Bulls into the tie with Miami in the first place, but it looks like things might be more devious than a laissez-faire attitude for the final game.

As reported by Nets Daily, the Indiana Pacers' second-round pick could wind up being Brooklyn's, given a series of carefully executed events - Chicago needs to win Wednesday and the Pacers need to lose.

The whole scenario falls under the terms of the Thaddeus Young-Caris LeVert trade, wherein if the Pacers fail to make the playoffs, they surrender their second-round pick.

Things just got so real.

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