The Hawks (29-38) and Nets (28-39) have flip-flopped in the eighth and ninth Eastern playoff positions for more than a week. And now they go at it with Atlanta holding a full one-game lead after the Nets' disappointing flop in Chicago Tuesday.

The Nets could clinch a season tie-breaker against the Hawks with a victory Wednesday -- they've already won 2-of-3 meetings. And at this point, any advantage is big.

Richard Jefferson scored 25 points and Jason Kidd missed a triple-double by one point and one rebound back on Nov. 6 in New Jersey where the Nets overcame 18 points each by Josh Smith and Josh Childress for an 87-82 victory. On Jan. 5 in Atlanta, Vince Carter arose for 29 points and the Nets beat the Hawks, 113-107, despite 34 from Smith. The Hawks' lone victory came, 104-92, in Atlanta Feb. 2 when Marvin Williams scored 24 points. Jefferson had 23 for the Nets.

BULLS 112, NETS 96: The Nets needed this one. They could have been tied for eighth place with the Hawks. They could have run their winning streak to three games. They could have begun a pivotal week on a high note.

Instead, the Nets laid a monstrous egg. Losing Devin Harris in a disastrous second quarter to a sprained right ankle, the Nets were drilled, 112-96, by the Bulls who pulled within one game of the ninth-place Nets and two games of eighth place Atlanta in the playoff chase.

Harris was listed as "day-to-day" after turning the ankle. Earlier this season, he missed 14 games with a sprained left ankle but by no means did this one seem as serious.

The Nets (28-39) were undone in the second quarter. They were outscored 29-8 -- the eight being a season low for a quarter -- they shot 3-of-19 and missed their last 13 shots of the session. The Bulls, with five players in double-figures including Luol Deng with 20 points, used a 21-2 run. Vince Carter scored 22 and Richard Jefferson had 21 points for the4 Nets, who got back within nine in the fourth quarter but were immediately hit by a 15-2 Chicago streak.