Everyone has been trying to push Deron Williams one way or the other these last few years. He has not quite recaptured the play that had him in the same conversation as Chris Paul among the league’s best point guards. Injuries have sapped him of that as the expectations for his team have grown. Williams has failed to meet expectations.
Kevin Garnett had to re-issue that challenge at some point this season as Williams struggled to manage all the personalities on the roster and make his team better. It is not an easy task being the point guard.
At the end of Game Six, Garnett was pounding Williams’ chest on the bench and giving him the dap he deserved for a job well done.
Williams was everywhere on the floor, scoring 23 points on 8-for-16 shooting. He dished out only four assists, but his real effort came on the defensive end where he helped shut down Kyle Lowry after his big Game Five. Brooklyn opened up as much as a 26-point lead and let it slip down to 11 late in the fourth quarter. Toronto could not get all the way back and there will be a Game Seven after Brooklyn’s 97-83 win at Barclays Center.
Lowry scored only 11 points on 4-for-16 shooting as the Raptors shot 38.5 percent as a team. DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points, but he too struggled from the floor. Shots were tough to find for the Raptors after they seemed to come so easy for much of Game Five at home.
Brooklyn had the formula pretty early on. The team went to Joe Johnson in the post, which is a clear matchup advantage.
Brooklyn got what it wanted now. The Nets have a chance to win this series. And their experience could play a big role.
