So what was the difference for Deron Williams between his scoreless performance in the Nets’ loss to the Heat in Game 2 and his nine-point, 11-assist showing in Saturday’s 104-90 win in Game 3?
According to him, there wasn’t one.
“I feel like I was the same,” Williams said. “With the way they’re playing me, they’re putting two on the ball when I come off and I have to make the right play to get people the ball, and I think I did that.
“I have to try to attack more, get to the basket, and I just didn’t convert.”
Though Williams shot just 3-for-11 in Game 3, he was far more aggressive. His repeated forays into the paint — while sometimes resulting in missed shots — paid off in luring the defense in, which led to his finding wide-open shooters on the perimeter time after time. That helped the Nets make a franchise playoff record 15 3-pointers and shoot 60 percent from behind the arc.
But the sharp shooting began with Williams, who set the tone right off the bat for the Nets by driving to the rim for a floater for the Nets’ first basket of the game, then hitting Joe Johnson with a picture-perfect pass for a 3-pointer from the wing on the next possession.
“I thought Deron played great,” Kevin Garnett said. “He showed a lot of character, a lot of grit, another word I can’t use. He was good, but I thought he led us and got guys easy shots, and we’re going to need that.”
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov returned to Barclays Center, taking in Game 3 from his luxury box suite high above center court.
It was the fifth game this season Prokhorov has watched in person, after witnessing the home opener in November against the Heat, then going to the Nets’ win in London over the Hawks at O2 Arena in January, before attending Games 3 and 4 of the Nets’ first-round series against the Raptors.
Continuing their tradition through the playoffs so far, the Nets had rapper Busta Rhymes introduce the team’s starting lineup.
With the Heat in town, the stars came out to watch the game. Not only were Jay Z and Beyonce in the former part owner’s customary courtside seats, but also in attendance were Dwight Gooden, Jerry Seinfeld and actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde.