Nets, Williams ready for Lin in rematch
Williams scores seasonhigh 38 as Nets cool off Knicks and Lin, 100-92.
Linsanity ran into reality: AllStar Deron Williams wasn’t getting embarrassed by the Harvard guy again.
Williams scored a season-high 38 points, outplaying Jeremy Lin and leading the New Jersey Nets to a 100-92 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday night.
Lin began his remarkable run against the Nets about two weeks ago, but Williams and the Nets were ready for him this time.
Lin finished with 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, but Williams outscored him 3611 through three quarters, when the Nets led by 18. Lin shot only 7 of 18 and the Knicks lost for the second time in 10 games since his emergence against the Nets on Feb. 4. Carmelo Anthony, clearly rusty in his return from a seven-game absence with a strained right groin, shot 4 of 11 and scored 11 points.
Williams scored 18 in the third quarter, including 12 straight Nets points during one surge. Clearly amped up for the rematch — maybe too much so, because he fouled out with 3:07 left — he skipped across the court with three fingers in the air after burying a second straight 3-pointer during his blistering stretch.
Marshon Brooks had 18 points for the Nets in their third game in three nights.
They shut down a Knicks offense that rang up 104 points against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, when Lin had 28 points and a career-best 14 assists.
Derrick Rose scored 23 points in his return from back pain, and the Chicago Bulls beat the struggling Atlanta Hawks. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook scored 31 points apiece and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Hornets for their 10th straight home win.
Dwight Howard had 28 points and 16 rebounds, Jameer Nelson added 15 points and the Orlando Magic beat the Milwaukee Bucks.
Kyle Lowry scored 24 points, Kevin Martin added 22 and Courtney Lee hit four key free throws down the stretch as the Houston Rockets held off the Memphis Grizzlies.