Deron Williams "hot like fish grease" scores 11 three-pointers propelling Nets over the Wizards

Fans expected a casual match-up between the Brooklyn Nets and the Washington Wizards Friday night. What they did not expect was the show Deron Williams put on which led his team to a 95-78 victory, and it may be all thanks to his new sneakers.

Williams looked healthy on the court in his new white high-top sneakers, even breaking them in by practicing jump shots before the game.

The sneakers, which made its debut, helped the point guard set a new NBA record with nine 3-pointers in the first half of the game.

"He should wear them [high-top sneakers] all the time," a fan shouted.

The Barclays center went crazy as the point guard started the game going 6 of 6 from 3-point range in the first 4:45. He had a franchise-record seven 3-pointers in the opening 12 minutes and hit his first eight 3s before missing with 5:50 left in the second quarter.

At times, fans were disappointed when he passed the ball or drove to the hoop.

In the first quarter, the Nets managed to outscore the Wizards with a score of 38-14, with Williams owning 23 points.

Williams tied the Wizards with 33 points in the half. The Nets led 59-33 at the break.

"Eight 3-pointers? What he been eating?" a fan shouted from the stands.

A number of players have hit eight 3-pointers in a half, including Kobe Bryant, who shares the record of 12 3s in a game with Donyell Marshall.

Another highlight of the night was Reggie Evans who finished with 11 points and 24 rebounds.

After missing back-to-back free-throws with the crowd chanting "Reggie, Reggie," in the fourth quarter, he regained composure and made his final free-throws of the night. In total, he landed 5 of 16 free-throws for the Nets, earning a standing ovation for his efforts when he exited the game.

When asked about William's performance, Evans said after the game, "He was hot like fish grease."

Williams who has said he's been feeling healthier thanks to the healing of his ankles, was one three-pointer short of the single-game NBA record, finishing the game with 11 3-pointers.

Williams scored a game-high 42 points. The Nets will travel to Atlanta to play the Hawks on Saturday.

Brook Lopez led Nets in scoring, while Kris Humphreys hits his second double-double of the season in Nets win over Magic

With a crowd of more than 16,500 fans, the Brooklyn Nets won its second back-to-back game against the Orlando Magic, with a final score of 82-74 at The Barclays Center on Sunday night.

Brook Lopez led the team with 20 points, while Kris Humphries landed his second double-double of the season with 14 points and 21 rebounds.

Orlando's Glen "Big Baby" Davis finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Orlando only led the game once-- early in the first quarter.

Despite the win, Nets head coach Avery Johnson still wants the team to start growing in areas.

"This is the second time we've had a substantial lead and couldn't hold it," said Johnson.

"Mentally, we weren't ready for a full game. We should've scored more," Johnson continued.

The Nets (3-2) take on Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers (2-5) Tuesday at The Barclays Center.

Brooklyn Nets take the first Battle of the Boroughs defeating the New York Knicks 96-89; Brook Lopez scores 22 points and 11 rebounds

It took 13 games and one overtime before the official birth of the Brooklyn (still sounds kind of weird) Nets.

Both teams were supposed to face each other to start the NBA season but then Hurricane Sandy blew into town forcing the game to be canceled. When they finally stepped on the floor Monday night at the Barclays Center, both teams had gotten off to a good start. The first place Knicks had a 1 game lead over the second place Nets who were eager to see if their fan base would truly make this a "home game" for Brooklyn.

Said Nets head coach Avery Johnson before the game, "my first two years was an 80-20 split for their side. I'm hoping for an 80-20 split on our side this time." It was more like 50-50 at the beginning after both teams were introduced in front of the sold out (17,732) crowd.

The Knicks were without Jason Kidd who was out with a sore lower back so head coach Mike Woodson had to tinker with the line-up starting veteran Kurt Thomas and moving Ronnie Brewer to the shooting guard spot. Both teams relied heavily on their bench and in the end, it came down to gritty defense and stamina that allowed Brooklyn to come away with the 96-89 win.

Neither team would lead by more than seven points the entire game. The game, tied 12 times, also had 13 lead changes in regulation. The Nets took a 5-point lead (81-76) with 4:01 left in the 4th quarter after a Brook Lopez dunk. Knicks Carmelo Anthony quickly answered that with a 3-pointer of his own to get them within two points (81-79). It began an 8-0 Knicks run that put them up by 3 (84-81) with 1:38 left and victory in sight.

The teams would trade baskets down the stretch, as a Lopez lay-up and free throw tied the game at 84 (he missed the second attempt that would have given them the lead) once again giving New York a chance at stealing the victory but Anthony's jump shot hit off the rim sending the game into overtime.

Brooklyn then took advantage of the extra five minutes outscoring the Knicks 12-5 to take the first Battle of the Boroughs. The win overshadowed New York's center Tyson Chandler and his career-high 28 points. Anthony, who played 50 minutes, finished with a game-high 35 points on 11-25 shooting. On more than one occasion when Melo went to the free throw line, he was serenaded with chants of M-V-P which were quickly drowned out by the Brooklyn fans.

Nets guard Deron Williams, who finished with a double-double (16 points, 14 assists) was very aware of the home crowd, "It was good to hear them cheering for us the entire game," Williams stated.

Joe Johnson noticed the support as well.

"Every time some sort of Knick contingency started to cheer, our fans got louder and this is what we have been dreaming about since I've been here," Johnson said.

A victory will do that.

Never knowing which Nets team is going to show up, Keith Bogans rises to the occasion and Joe Johnson hits the winning shot

When the Brooklyn Nets stepped on the floor at the Barclays Center to start the second half of their NBA season, everyone from the players, to the coaching staff, to the fans wondered which team they would see. Would it be the team that won 11 of its first 14 games to start the year resulting in then-head coach Avery Johnson being named Coach of the Month? Or would it be the team that lost 11 games the following month that cost Johnson his job? Or would it be the team that won 9 of its first 10 (7 wins in a row at one point) games under interim coach P.J. Carlesimo finishing the first half with a 17-8 record under him? Their overall record of 31-22 had them in second place in the Atlantic Division only 2 1/2 games behind the Knicks. Despite Deron Williams' health and inconsistent play between him and fellow guard Joe Johnson, center Brook Lopez responded from an early ankle injury to play his way onto the Eastern Conference All-Star team. They faced the Milwaukee Bucks at the Barclay Center last night a team they had not beaten in 13 straight games. By night's end, there were still many questions to be answered.

At the start, there were more positive answers, as Brooklyn jumped all over the Bucks taking a seven-point lead (31-24) at the end of the first period. The trio of Williams, Johnson, and Lopez combined for 20 points. It got better in the second period as the Nets extended the lead to as many as 15 (56-41) after a short Lopez jumper. Milwaukee dwindled the lead to 10 at the half, as Bucks guard Brandon Jennings started what would be a big night for him scoring five of his 11 first-half points.

Jennings, on the strength of scoring 16 third-period points, carried the Bucks to a one-point lead (81-80) nailing 6 of 9 shots (2 of 3 from 3-point land) going into the final period. The largest lead by any team was no more than 5 points (87-82) after Bucks Ekpe Udoh bank shot as both teams made big baskets down the stretch.

With the score tied at 94 and 5:26 left, each remaining possession was treated like a Game 7 playoff, with no team ever leading by more than three points. After a Williams jumper brings Brooklyn within 1 (101-100) Andray Blatche gives them a brief lead after making two free throws. After a Larry Sanders offensive tip regains the Milwaukee lead (102-101), Nets Williams got called for an offensive foul and sent Jennings to the free throw line (he made both) giving them what looked like an insurmountable lead 105-102. Brooklyn's Joe Johnson then broke the Bucks heart not once but twice.

The first came when he hit a three-pointer at the end of the regular period buzzer (105-105) sending the game into overtime. Nets Keith Bogans began the extra frame by contributing his own three giving Brooklyn a very brief 108-105 lead. The Bucks crashed the offensive boards their next two possessions outscoring the Nets 6-0 pushing ahead 111-108. But Brooklyn was not done. Bogans continued his hot streak draining another three-pointer, tying the game at 111. With 1.4 seconds left, Johnson curls left at the top of the key after getting a pass from Williams and hits nothing but the bottom of the net sending the Bucks home and putting an end to their 13-game losing streak at the hands of the Bucks. It was Johnson's third game-winning shot of the season.

Brooklyn had a lot of questions coming into the game against the Bucks. The win was a good answer to start the second half of their season. A win they can't celebrate for long, as they travel to Milwaukee Wednesday night where the Bucks will look to begin another winning streak.

Nets get a new arena in Brooklyn, a city with a long history of basketball and across the river from the iconic MSG

Admit it. Most of you newly minted Brooklyn Nets fans were not shouting for Deron Williams and company in the Prudential Center when they ended their 2011-2012 NBA season, winning 22 of 66 games total.

But that's okay; new city, new team, new fans and oh... a new coach, right? You're entitled to jump on the bandwagon.

It may be too early to decide whether or not the city of Brooklyn has accepted the Nets as their home team. However, it's quite evident that the NBA has already made a rivalry between the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks. The Nets continue to prove themselves as a lead contender in the Eastern Conference, with an even 2-2 record with New York. But in my opinion, the rivalry is a bit over-hyped.

Don't get me wrong, Brooklyn has raw talent; Joe Johnson is probably one of the most underrated and under-appreciated guards in the league. Brook Lopez, a great scorer, averaging 18.6 points this season so far, is still justifying Shaq's thoughts on him being better than Dwight Howard. Hopefully, if Deron Williams doesn't whisk away another coach, maybe he can lead this team to a Division championship.

MAYBE.

But for a Brooklyn girl, like myself, the tale of these two teams is more than just a bridge between boroughs; it's about two iconic territories: The Garden and The Barclays Center. Brooklyn has history, but Madison Square Garden is historic.

Every kid in New York City aspired to play at The Garden. Since 1903, The Garden has hosted the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) basketball championships. In New York City, Brooklyn is legendary for basketball, producing an epic list of high school basketball players, such as Lenny Wilkins; Fly Williams; Bernard King; Albert King; Connie Hawkins; World B. Free; Chris Mullins; Mark Jackson; Billy Cunningham; Mike Dunleavy; Stephon Marbury; Sebastian Telfair; Gary Forbes; Lance Stephenson; and Epiphanny Prince.

In a recent interview, Telfair said regarding playing for the Brooklyn Nets one day, "I would love to if the opportunity comes, I think I would, I'm from here. I think before I get out of the league, I think I'd give it a shot."

I mean, who wouldn't want to play for Brooklyn? More than just an NBA team, it is home for many of us. Smack dead in the middle of Brooklyn, Barclays is surrounded by at least 10 high schools that are within walking distance:

Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn HS of the Arts
Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School
Pacific High School
ACORN Community High School
Metropolitan Corporate Academy High School
Berkeley Carroll School
Benjamin Banneker Academy
International High School at Prospect Heights
Brooklyn School for Global Studies

The Nets' new home has paved a path for a restructured city and bigger dreams for city kids. A dream for a city kid is right--you can even take in a view of the practice court by stopping into Starbucks at the Barclays Center.

Even "go-hard" Spike Lee, raised in Brooklyn thinks Barclays "is great for Brooklyn." (Don't count on him ever rooting for Brooklyn though.)

I'm actually looking forward to the future of Brooklyn and the Nets. Once the hype dies down between the Nets and the Knicks, hopefully, Brooklyn can re-establish a tone for basketball, and maybe even street ball.

Let's thank Jay-Z for that.

Miami Heat ends Lin-sanity and shows the New York Knicks who's "bigger, stronger, meaner and faster"

About 400 miles from where the NBA is setting up for the second biggest league event (the NBA Finals is the first), the New York Knicks were in Miami facing the Heat who were on a 7 game winning streak. The New York Knicks felt good about themselves coming into the game after demolishing the Atlanta Hawks the night before at Madison Square Garden. They were hoping that momentum would carry over and the combination of Jeremy Lin and Carmelo Anthony in the offense would improve. The Heat had other thoughts as they came out in the immortal words of rapper Kanye West, "bigger, stronger, meaner and faster. In their 102-88 win over the Knicks, the Miami Heat 4 players score in double figures led by Chris Bosh with 25 points. It's what they did on the defensive end that suffocated the Knicks and in particular phenom Lin who was warned before the game that Miami would throw every defensive scheme his way every time he touched the ball.

Miami came out like a "pack of wild dogs" the term used by legendary linebacker Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants when he wanted to get his team fired up. The Knicks did not wilt from the first wave of the Heat's pressure. In fact, the Knicks only trailed by 4 points (24-20) after the first period despite Lin's 3 turnovers. Things would only get worse for Lin as he finished the night missing 10 of 11 shots and turning the ball over 8 times.

The third period is when it all began to unravel for New York. They began the period down by 4 points again (51-47) when the Heat took total control. After Lin and Anthony converted 4 straight free throws to get within 2 (53-51) Miami responded by scoring the next 6 points. Before you could say Lin-Sanity, the Heat then outscored New York 27-15 the rest of the way to take a 14 point (80-66) lead. The Heat defense only allowed the Knicks 19 points. Miami then put the game on cruise control as the Knicks could only get within 9 points (82-73) with a little over 9 minutes left in the game.

The bench play that was supposed be a big part of the Knicks since they got Baron Davis back from injury, and the signing of J.R. Smith, was a non-factor in the game. Although Smith did contribute 14 points Davis struggled mightily. He missed all 7 shot attempts finishing the game with zero points. Steve Novak continued his hot shooting nailing 4 of 5 three-pointers for 12 points. Anthony led all Knicks scorers with 19 points.

It wasn't the way the Knicks wanted to end the first half of the year, losing to a team that is expected to not only get to the NBA Finals but to win it all. For one night Lin was brought back to earth by a team who was hell-bent on not letting the Lin-Sanity continue. Said Heat's head coach Erik Spoelstra, "we wanted to treat him (Lin) with the adequate respect he deserves."

NBA All-Star weekend takes center stage tonight as the Celebrity All-Star game and Rising Stars Challenge takes place at the Amway Center. Jeremy Lin has been chosen to be on the team that will be coached by Shaquille O' Neal.

Deron Williams out of Nets lineup and "next man up" mentality propels Nets to a victory; Brook Lopez thanks fans for NBA All-Star Support

Despite Deron Williams missing his second straight game of the season, the Brooklyn Nets managed to defeat the Denver Nuggets 119-108 Wednesday night at Barclays Center.

The 119 points were a season-high for Brooklyn, topping the 115-point game against the Sacramento Kings on January 5.

Brooklyn was led by Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson, and C.J. Watson, who each scored over 20 points. Watson replaced Deron Williams in the starting lineup.

Williams has missed 23 games since joining the Nets, including the Nets' wins over the Pacers and Nuggets this week because of inflammation in his ankles.

When all was said and done, Williams' replacement scored a season-high 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting and five threes.

Denver was led by Ty Lawson, who had 26 points and 9 assists in the game.

Lopez who finished the game with 23 points, acknowledged the fans at Barclays before the start of the game, expressing his excitement for the All-Star game Sunday.

After the game, the 24-year-old center told reporters that he was "thankful" and admitted he heard the "Lopez All-Star" chant while sitting on the bench.

"I'm expecting to have a lot of fun. The guys have been great so far," Lopez said on February 13 in an interview.

Kris Humphries, who has been dealing with an ongoing divorce battle with estranged wife, Kim Kardashian, provided much of the offense of the first half for the Nets.

Humphries scored 10 points in just 10 minutes. The Nets shot 9-of-14 from the 3-point line in first half and ended the half with a 62-57 lead over Denver. Despite NBA trade rumors, Humphries finished with 14 points.

The Nets (31-22) will play the Milwaukee Bucks on February 19 at the Barclays Center.

Crimsonsanity sets in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

With No. 14-seeded Harvard's 68-62 upset win over No. 3-seeded New Mexico in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, Crimsonsanity is starting to set in.

So, is Crimsonsanity? NBA fans and media all know the "Linsanity" that went on last season when Lin was a player with the New York Knicks. Harvard is the alma mater of Houston Rockets guard Jeremy Lin. It is also Harvard's first NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament victory ever. Add to that Jeremy Lin's tweet after the Harvard win, "YYYYYEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!! HARVARD winssss!!! hahahahhah i told you," and now we have "Crimsonsanity".

Not surprisingly, already there are Harvard Crimson Upset City t-shirts available. Capitalism does rule.

Meanwhile here at What's The 411, despite the upset, our sports reporters' NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four picks remain intact.

Here's a quick reference for you:

Kalise McKnight's NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four Picks

Kalise likes Duke to take it all.

But, before we get there, in the Final Four, Kalise likes:

• Duke
• Wisconsin
• Kansas
• Miami

He expects that Duke and Kansas will "duke it out" (pun intended) in the championship round in Atlanta.

He believes Duke has the confidence from being battle-tested through a tough out-of-conference schedule. Duke has beaten a lot of NCAA tourney teams VCU, Minnesota, Davidson, Temple, and Louisville. Duke also beat Kentucky, last year's champion. Its ACC foes: Miami, UNC, and NC State, which are also in the NCAA tourney, no problem.

Moreover, Kalise strongly believes that you can't overlook how a team is coached.

"Coach K is one of the best coaches in basketball, period," he said emphatically. "He just coached the USA Men's Basketball team to a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics and he has multiple NCAA titles at Duke."

"The team has shooters; the point guards play at the NBA level, the big men and defense post D. The only flaw is that athletic wing players or tough hard-nose teams usually give Duke problems. The teams that could prevent a Duke final four appearance are Memphis and Michigan State, but I'm sticking with Duke," Kalise continued.

Crystal Lynn's NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four Picks

As for Crystal Lynn, her Final Four picks are:
• Notre Dame
• Memphis
• Michigan
• Butler

She has Memphis and Butler in the Championship game, with Butler winning it all.

T.A. Moreland's NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four Picks

T.A. thinks Georgetown will win it all.

• Indiana
• Georgetown
• Michigan State
• Kansas State

"I like Kansas State as my sleeper," T.A. said. "Michigan State just always seems to be ready to play come tournament time. I have to have some love for my alma mater: Indiana. But, ultimately, it's the Georgetown Hoyas who have gone 14-2 in their last 16 games including an 11-game winning streak who will win it all."

Andrew Rosario's NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four Picks

Andrew's picks for the Final Four are:
• Louisville
• Memphis
• Wisconsin
• Arizona

Andrew picks Louisville and Wisconsin for the Final 2, with Louisville winning it all.

Interestingly, no one picked Gonzaga to make it to the Final Four; no NC State, UNC, Iona, or L.I.U.-Brooklyn.
Well, L.I.U.-Brooklyn got bumped out of contention altogether by James Madison University before the Round of 64 got started. Wishful thinking on my part, as Iona and L.I.U. were real long shots, but hey, I gotta root for the home teams!

As for What's The 411's hot shot sports reporters, time will tell who's right, if at all.

The National Championship game is on April 8.

Who are your picks? Hit us up on Facebook at WhatIsThe411 or on Twitter @WhatsThe411TV.

Brooklyn Nets snatch a win and force Game 6 vs. Chicago Bulls in NBA Playoffs

Deron Williams needed to have a perfect game last night against the Chicago Bulls to force a Game 6, and he nearly did that, as the Nets overcame the Bulls in a 110-91 home win Monday night at the Barclays Center.

Williams scored 23 points and 10 assists and Brook Lopez added 28 points for the Nets, who blew a 14-point lead in the three-overtime loss in Game 4 on Saturday in Chicago.

Reggie Evans grabbed 12 rebounds and Gerald Wallace scored 12 points which contributed to Brooklyn's miracle comeback on Monday. Andray Blatche was clutch in the fourth quarter scoring 10 of his 13 points in the last 12 minutes of the game that potentially would've been his team's last game of the season.

Nate Robinson started Monday night for Chicago in place of Kirk Hinrich who suffered from a bruised left calf. He added 20 points and eight assists for the Bulls.

Before the game, Bulls' head coach Tom Thibodeau said that he wasn't worried about Robinson's behavior in Game 4 that resulted in a scuffle between the 5-foot-9 point guard and Nets' guard C.J. Watson. Both guards, who have developed a hate relationship throughout their careers received technical fouls. After Saturday's game, the NBA reviewed the fouls and league revoked Watson's call.

"Nate Robinson is never going to change," Thibodeau said. "He makes things happen."

The talk of the night centered also around Jason Collins, the free agent now known for becoming the first active NBA player to come out as gay. Many of the NBA players sent messages to Collins after the story broke Monday, with most sending supportive tweets through social media.

"Jason Collins has announced that he is gay. I know Jason and his family well and I support him 100%," NBA Legend Magic Johnson tweeted. "Jason can feel good in knowing that the NBA will support him."

P.J. Carlesimo expressed his support for Collins and said the center is reflective of what the NBA stands for. The Nets coach also reminisced on how the NBA was 10 years ago and said that the league wasn't ready for Collins' sexuality back in 2003.

He also added that he wasn't worried about any same-sex issue in the Nets' locker room.

For now, the only thing Carlesimo is worried about is winning Game 6, as Brooklyn will travel to Chicago to revive their season.

The Nets take on the Bulls on May 2 and Nets fans will be watching!

PJ Carlesimo fired after Nets lose Game 7 of NBA semifinals to Chicago Bulls

Brooklyn Nets interim head coach PJ Carlesimo is out as head coach. Not saying it's much of a surprise to many, but that was quick.

Deron Williams, the Nets point guard, may have hinted Carlesimo's departure when he faced questions from the media after Saturday's Game 7 loss to the Chicago Bulls, 99-93.

The guard praised Carlesimo for his efforts but noted that his destiny as a coach was not up to him.

"I think he did a great job with everything that has gone on. There was a lot of turmoil when he inherited us. I think he did a good job getting us to that fourth seed. I'd love to see PJ back, but as you know that's not up to me," Williams said.

"I had fun playing with these groups of guys and coaches. I think this experience will make us tougher as a group...We still have a ways to go."

Whether or not it was in the hands of Williams or not, Carlesimo deserves some credit for the progression of the Nets.

The 63-year-old became the interim head coach on December 27 after the Nets fired former head coach Avery Johnson after a 14-14 start of this season.

The Nets finished their regular season second in the Atlantic Division and were the No. 4 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. The Nets won 12 of their first 14 games under Carlesimo and went 10-3 down the stretch to earn home-court advantage in the first round.

In the team's first season in Brooklyn, Carlesimo helped the Nets finish with a 35-19 regular season record.

The Nets have not made it passed the first round since the 2006-2007 when they lost in the semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But now, the Nets have a bigger task at hand--finding a new coach. Billy King, the Nets' general manager is reportedly seeking big names like Phil Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy.

Carlesimo appeared on ESPN's The Herd With Colin Cowherd the day after he got fired and said he just wasn't the guy the Nets organization wanted.

"We really believed that we'd be successful in the playoffs," Carlesimo said. "We made enormous progress."