NBA

Nets’ Deron flies into playoff mode

Deron Williams was strutting across the practice court yesterday, his cocksure attitude on display for all to see. Only players who have game walk the way Williams does. He has earned the right.

“Two-minute warning,” he shouted at a group of reporters assembled around Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo.

Williams wasn’t kidding. After Carlesimo said something about needing to play good defense and rebound in order to win Game 2 against the Bulls, the Nets began their practice in preparation for tonight’s showdown at Barclays Center. Williams had ended the interview session. It was time to go to work.

Think back to July, when the Nets signed Williams to a five-year, $98 million contract, hoping they had secured their franchise player and cornerstone of their move to Brooklyn. After Game 1 of the first-round series, owner Mikhail Prokhorov has to be happy with the early returns on his investment.

In the Nets’ 106-89 victory, Williams was all the Nets needed him to be, scoring 22 points with seven assists and three steals. He looked fresh and healthy, showing no signs of impairment from the bad ankles and bad wrist that hampered his play during the first half of the season. No play was more spectacular than his reverse break-away dunk that impressed Brook Lopez.

“That was nice,” Lopez said. “What can I say? I can’t do that.”

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Overshadowed by Carmelo Anthony in New York, Williams made it clear he owns Brooklyn.

“When he’s hitting on all cylinders, it’s very difficult to defend,” Carlesimo said. “If you watch him prior to the All-Star break and post, it’s almost a different player.”

For the Nets to win this series and go deep in the playoffs, they need repeats of Game 1 from Williams. It was Williams’ relentless penetration and conversions that opened space for Lopez, who scored 19 of his 21 points in the first half Saturday night. He also clears space for Joe Johnson.

“Everyone feeds off his energy,” reserve point guard C.J. Watson said. “When he comes out and plays with energy and plays with the pace he does, everybody feeds off that.”

Williams should dominate the Bulls again tonight the way he did in Game 1. Chicago really doesn’t have an answer, not if Derrick Rose continues to sit out. Kirk Hinrich is no match and neither is Jimmy Butler. If the Bulls decide to double Williams, that frees Johnson and Lopez to do damage.

“It’s about being aggressive,” Williams said. “That’s what I’m going to have to do all series and all playoffs. I’m going to continue to attack and be relentless with that.”

A matchup between Williams and Rose would have been one of the premiere point-guard showdowns of the playoffs had both been healthy. The Nets aren’t about to feel sorry for the Bulls, but Williams has enjoyed matchups with Rose in the past.

“He’s one of the best players in the game, he’s definitely a competitor,” Williams said. “He one of the toughest to guard with his speed, quickness and athleticism at the point-guard position. He’s improved his jump shot and he’s probably improved it more since he’s only been able to shoot jumpers the last year.”

The Nets need a win to hold home court and head to Chicago with a 2-0 lead. Williams doesn’t expect it to be as one-sided as it was in Game 1.

“The first one is easy,” he said. “You’re ready for it. The fans are excited. This one’s going to be the one to see where we’re at to see if we have that same energy and play with the same pace that we did in Game 1.”

It’s time to go to work.