Williams, mates slumping at worst time

With the season on the line, Deron Williams is drawing blanks.

After going 3for13 in Monday’s embarrassing loss to the Bulls, in which the Nets gave up control of their own destiny for the final playoff spot in the East, Williams is 7for35 from the field in his past three games — including 2for9 from 3point range — as the Nets possibly have shot themselves out of the playoffs.

“We went against two good defensive teams,” Williams said. “We struggled against a really solid defensive team. When they load up, we haven’t moved the ball. … We can’t just play one pick and roll and shot against teams like this. That’s what they want you to do.”

Williams was far from the only Net to struggle offensively Monday. In the third quarter, they shot 5for19 from the field and were outscored 3015 as they repeated their third quarter woes from Sunday’s blowout loss in Milwaukee.

“You have to try to spread them out, try to get the ball to the other side and try and play second, third options and make them guard for full shot clocks, and we didn’t do that,” Williams said. “We just came down and fired up shots and didn’t pass out of double teams. … Every one of us, myself included. For us to win, we can’t play like that.”

After spending the past 50 years in and around professional basketball, Rod Thorn is calling it quits.

Thorn, who drafted Michael Jordan as general manager of the Bulls in 1984 and put together the Nets teams thatmade backtoback NBA Finals appearances in 2001 and 2002, confirmed Monday he’s going to leave his post as the NBA’s president of basketball operations in August.

“When I came back, it was for a transition type period anyway,” Thorn said. “When I came back, I said Iwould stay formy two years, and my two years is up in August, and that will be it.”

Thorn, 73, also confirmed Kiki Vandeweghe, currently the league’s vice president of basketball operations, would almost certainly step into his role when he departs, as had widely been expected.

The Nets were without Alan Anderson once again Monday night, as he sat out his sixth consecutive game with a sprained left ankle.

Anderson has been a crucial bench piece for the Nets, providing solid perimeter defense while shooting a respectable 34.8 percent from 3point range this season.