Ziaire Williams gives Nets big boost in return from back injury
Ziaire Williams returned just in time for the Nets.
With less than a minute to go Thursday night and the Bucks trailing by a single point, the Nets forced a missed shot from 6-foot-11 Giannis Antetokounmpo and Williams grabbed the rebound with 6.1 seconds remaining.
The 6-9, former No. 10-overall pick of the 2021 draft then hit both free throws to give the Nets the lead before Damian Lillard put up a desperation 3-pointer.
After missing 12 games and nearly a month of time because of a knee injury, Williams added size in a contest without Noah Clowney (back) and a game-winning finish to the Nets’ stunning 113-110 victory over the Bucks.
“It’s why we work so hard. It’s nothing new,” Williams said of the final minutes Thursday. “Just don’t overthink it, man. Just shoot it. I’m glad I was in that position, honestly. I love being in moments like that, playing down the stretch in big moments. Crowd’s screaming. Court rattling a little bit. It was fun. I knew it was going in before I even shot it. I’m in a great headspace right now and I miss being out there. Just a positive mindset and not taking the game for granted.”
The 23-year-old small forward scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds, blocked a shot and was a plus-12 across 19 minutes off the bench.
Since the Nets acquired Williams in July from the Grizzlies along with a 2030 second-round pick from Dallas in exchange for center Mamadi Diakite and the draft rights to forward Nemanja Dangubic, he has been an integral young development piece in the team’s rebuilding process.
Across 22 games this season, he is averaging 8.6 points and 4.5 rebounds on 40 percent shooting.
With Clowney out and if Cam Johnson misses time after suffering an ankle injury on Williams’ late-game rebound, Williams could see more playing time for a team that lacks in size and is set to face the 76ers and 7-foot Joel Embiid on Saturday.
“He made winning plays all over,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said of Williams. “His energy was contagious. His deflections. Obviously, he made a couple of big shots, 2-for-4 from three, and the six rebounds, being all over the place. He was amazing. A lot of times, it’s just thinking, ‘I’m going to do whatever it takes for our team to win,’ and he did, and he was a big part of the win. Obviously, those free throws at the end were huge.”
The Nets saw further defensive development from Cam Thomas on Thursday.
The star guard matched a season high with seven rebounds, grabbed two steals, and took an offensive foul in his second game off the bench since returning from a hamstring injury.
“Very proud of him. I think his ball pressure and physicality have been better since the beginning of the season, and that’s what I want to see,” Fernandez said. “I want to see growth and he’s shown it right now coming back from injury. … Rebounding was huge and all those plays defensively, that’s what we are going to need from him moving forward.”
Maxwell Lewis has been ruled out for Saturday with a left tibia fracture he suffered in Wednesday’s 130-113 loss to the Raptors.
Lewis was carried off the court during the fourth quarter of his Nets debut in Wednesday’s 130-113 loss to the Raptors.
Clowney (left hip contusion) and Thomas (left hamstring strain) have been listed as questionable. Johnson (right ankle sprain) has been ruled doubtful.
The victory over the Bucks marked the Nets’ first time winning twice in Milwaukee in a single season since 2013-14.
The Nets held a 27-8 edge in points off turnovers, marking their largest advantage and fewest points allowed in that category this season.
