Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and the Nets turned the Brooklyn blackout into a blowout.
Williams scored 22 points, Lopez had 21 and the Nets ripped apart the Bulls' vaunted defense with a spectacular second quarter, when they made 16 of 20 shots.
Joe Johnson finished with 16 for the Nets, who made their successful first season in Brooklyn even better with a victory in their first playoff appearance since 2007. They will host Game 2 on Monday night.
The Nets wore their road black uniforms and fans were encouraged to wear black as well to make it a "blackout" for the first major postseason game in Brooklyn since October 10, 1956, when the Yankees beat the Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series at Ebbets Field.
Carlos Boozer had 25 points and eight rebounds for the Bulls, who had Joakim Noah in the starting lineup despite foot pain. But he was clearly limited, and there was no reason to play him more than the 14 minutes he got with the game never in doubt after halftime.