Deron Williams scored 32 points and led the Brooklyn Nets to a 105-96 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday.
Brook Lopez had 19 points and four blocks, while Andray Blatche and Joe Johnson scored 16 and 15 points, respectively, for the Nets, who came into the game off a 92-90 loss against Chicago on Thursday. Reggie Evans recorded a double-double with 14 points and 20 rebounds in the victory.
"One of the few intelligent things I've said this season was (that) Deron Williams was the only guy I wasn't worried about," said Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo.
Ben Gordon scored 27 points off the bench for the Bobcats, who have lost seven of their last nine games. Gerald Henderson tallied 22 points and Bismack Biyombo had 10 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in the setback.
"We're learning, and ultimately we will be better for this process," Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap said.
Charlotte had a 54-53 edge at halftime, but it wouldn't last long.
Williams scored Brooklyn's first seven points in the third quarter, as the Nets took a 60-58 lead with 10:18 to play.
Williams scored 12 points in the period and New Jersey had an 83-75 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
Ben Gordon score 13 points in the fourth, including three 3-pointers, but the Bobcats shot just 36.8 percent on the floor.
A 3-pointer by Gordon with 2:44 remaining in regulation cut the deficit to one, 95-94.
However, a 10-2 spurt by the Nets over the remainder of the frame sealed the victory. Williams had eight points during the run.
Brooklyn started strong, outscoring Charlotte 17-9 for the first six minutes, but the Bobcats went a 14-6 surge, capped with a driving layup by Henderson, to take a 23-21 lead with 1:37 left.
The Nets answered back with an 8-0 run over the final 1:30 to take a 29-23 lead entering the second quarter.
The Bobcats remained close behind throughout the period and eventually took a 46-45 edge after a trey by Gordon with just over four minutes remaining.
Brooklyn took the lead once more, but Henderson made a shot at the buzzer to put Charlotte on top, albeit temporarily.
Game Notes
• Read more articles by Sports Network
Order Reprint
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "Report Abuse" link below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.