BOSTON — Lost amid the deserved attention Mirza Teletovic earned for his prolific scoring display in the Nets’ 107-106 triumph over the Mavericks on Friday in Brooklyn was the continued resurgence of Deron Williams.
Coming off the bench for the third straight game, Williams looked like the game-changing guard he can be. He finished with 18 points, 11 assists and just one turnover in almost 35 minutes, and led the Nets with a plus/minus of plus-14.
“I felt pretty good,” Williams said. “I’m getting a rhythm back.
“I’m trying to get healthy and get back to playing like I’m capable of.”
This was the latest step in Williams’ return from sitting out five games — including staying home from the Nets’ trip to London last week — after receiving cortisone shots and platelet rich plasma injections in both of his troublesome ankles earlier this month.
He is hoping to have the same kind of success this year as he did last year, when he missed the final week before the All-Star break to undergo a similar round of treatment.
Upon returning after the break, Williams was sensational, averaging 22.9 points and 8.0 assists over the final 28 games of the regular season, in what was his best stretch of play as a Net since being acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Jazz in February 2011.
On Friday, Williams attacked the basket with a vengeance against the Mavericks, getting to the rim for layups and scoop shots in the paint rather than settling for jumpers on the perimeter. In fact, he didn’t take a single 3-point attempt, something that had occurred just twice this season — both in games he left early with ankle sprains.
He went 5-for-8 from the field and 8-for-10 from the foul line, marking just the second time this season he took double-digit free throws.
“A little bit,” Williams said when asked if he felt he had more speed and quickness following the procedures. “Hopefully every game it’s going to be better. That’s how I’m looking at it.”
He has also developed a nice chemistry with the bench unit. By having him on the floor with several shooters at once, that has not only allowed him to have the floor spread for drives to the rim, but it also gives him ample places to look to find an open man.
“I think when we’re sharing the ball and moving it around we’re hard to guard,” Williams said. “We’re hard to stop, especially when guys are hitting shots like Mirza. We’re definitely building some chemistry. We’ve built a lot of chemistry since the new year, and hopefully we can keep it going.”
The Nets will hope to carry that momentum over to their upcoming games, including Sunday night’s emotional return to Boston for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, followed by Monday’s showdown with the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors.
“We’re feeling good, but we’re not satisfied,” Williams said. “We’ve just got to keep going, keep winning, keep focused and try not to have any slip-ups.”