Resurgent Williams Rescues Nets, Setting Up Game 7 in Toronto
A season was at stake, the spotlight was blinding, and Deron Williams stepped into it and sparkled.
With just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter - after the Nets had allowed a 26-point lead over the Toronto Raptors to shrink to 10 - Williams took the ball on a swirling route around the perimeter of the defense, pulled up and laced a 3-pointer through the net.
The shot brought the fans at sold-out Barclays Center to their feet, where they would remain as the Nets closed out a 97-83 victory on Friday night to tie their first-round series at three games each.
The best-of-seven series will conclude Sunday in Toronto, with the winner earning a matchup with the Miami Heat, the two-time defending champions, in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Williams, who withstood a twisted left ankle and finished with 23 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, heard huge cheers when he was replaced with 38 seconds remaining and the game in hand. It was an appreciative display to acknowledge a stirring showing. And Williams had desperately needed one.
Just before the game, a photograph snapped outside Barclays Center was rapidly being shared on social media. It showed a lamppost near the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Fort Green Place with a missing-person poster featuring Williams's face. The text above the picture read, 'Have you seen this person?'
Williams, whose inconsistency has been a story line for much of the last two seasons, had faced withering criticism again for being outplayed by his Raptors counterpart, Kyle Lowry, who scored 36 points in Toronto's Game 5 win.
But Williams made his presence felt early and often, even after the injury scare.
A little over two minutes into the second half, Williams drove hard to the basket, absorbed contact on a layup attempt, and yelled out in pain as he landed awkwardly and crumpled to the floor.
The game stopped as Williams writhed in pain. He finally rose and spent an entire timeout trying to walk off the pain in his ankle while fans chanted his name.
Williams stayed in the game, making both free throws and, a few seconds later, a corner 3-pointer. He hobbled around the rest of the game, flexing his leg during stoppages and returning to the bench for timeouts with a limp.
But he delivered over and over again while the Raptors fought back from a 26-point third-quarter deficit. Williams looked smooth sinking a midrange fadeaway shot with less than two minutes remaining in the third to push the Nets' lead back to 20.
Then came his late-game dagger.
Facing the pressure of a potentially inglorious playoff exit, Nets Coach Jason Kidd had spent much of his pregame interview session emphasizing how important it was to maintain the course, to fight the urge to make changes.
'You stay in the moment,' Kidd said of elimination games. 'You don't do anything out of the ordinary. You don't change anything. You stay the course.'
It would prove to be a curious statement once it became clear how many changes Kidd, who arrived at the arena with his beard cleanly shaven, would make. Moments before tip-off, the team announced that Alan Anderson, usually a reserve, would start in place of Shaun Livingston.
The Nets seemed intent on creating a vibrant early atmosphere at Barclays Center after the tepid early energy during Games 3 and 4. They offered a big discount on concessions purchased within a half-hour after the doors opened. They handed out T-shirts to every fan.
It did not quite work. The arena seemed only half full, with many T-shirts draped over empty seats, when the game began.
But Anderson provided his own energy, validating Kidd's decision with a strong game. He had 9 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.
Kidd also summoned Andray Blatche from the bench much earlier than usual, handing him the minutes he usually granted to the rookie Mason Plumlee. Blatche responded, too, scoring 8 points with seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
Kidd had diverged from his usual course well before the game.
During a conference call with reporters Thursday, Kidd went out of his way to repeatedly point out what he perceived to be a plethora of missed calls in Game 5 - at one point singling out the referee Tom Washington - and even facetiously suggested the Nets adopt flopping as a tactic. The league responded by fining him $25,000 on Friday.
When a reporter pointed out to Kidd that he did not usually make headlines with his interview comments, Kidd joked, 'It wasn't me.'
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