Nets’ Williams gains payback against Lin

NEW YORK -- Deron Williams takes full responsibility for Linsanity.

"This all started on me," the New Jersey Nets star guard said.

He was ready Monday when he got another shot at the kid from Harvard.

Williams scored a season-high 38 points, outplaying Lin and leading the Nets to a 100-92 victory over the New York Knicks in a game the All-Star said was circled on his calendar.

Lin began his remarkable run against New Jersey on Feb. 4, but Williams and the Nets were geared up this time for him and Carmelo Anthony, who returned to the Knicks lineup after missing seven games with a strained right groin.

"I don't really watch too many games, but I do see Twitter, people tweet me and every, you know, three lines it was 'Jeremy Lin destroyed Deron Williams,' " Williams said. "So I definitely took offense to that in the first game and definitely, like I said, I had it circled."

Lin finished with 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds before fouling out, but Williams outscored him 36-11 through three quarters, when the Nets led by 18. Lin shot 7 of 18, and the Knicks lost for the second time in 10 games since his emergence against the Nets.

"I think me in particular didn't come with the defensive energy we needed. Obviously, Deron Williams going for 30-whatever he had is not going to get it done," Lin said.

Anthony, clearly rusty, shot 4 of 11 and scored 11 points.

"My mindset was not to try to come in and do too much. Try to fit in. Try to play my game within the system the way that they've been playing the last couple weeks," Anthony said.

Williams scored 18 in the third quarter, including 12 straight Nets points during one surge. Clearly amped for the rematch -- maybe too much so, because he fouled out with 3:07 left -- he skipped across the court with three fingers in the air after burying a second straight 3-pointer during his blistering stretch.

MarShon Brooks had 18 points as the Nets, playing their third game in three nights, surprised a crowd looking for a repeat of their last trip across the Hudson River.

New Jersey shut down a Knicks offense that rang up 104 points against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, when Lin had 28 points and a career-best 14 assists.

But Williams was locked in this time, and the U.S. Olympian could've gone for plenty more if not for spending most of the fourth quarter on the bench in foul trouble. But by then, he had the Nets too far ahead for the Knicks to catch up.

Williams, who shot 7 of 19 in the first meeting, made eight 3-pointers and was 10 of 22 overall Monday.

"I don't think Deron Williams needs much of a prod," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said. "That's one of the best guards in the league. Jeremy still got 21 and nine. He had a great game, good game. Deron had a great game, and that'll be that way sometimes."