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Williams' late basket saves Nets against T-Wolves

Apr 6, 2011 - 4:31 AM Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - Deron Williams sank a go-ahead jumper with 1.7 seconds remaining, capping his substantial double-double and saving the New Jersey Nets in a 107-105 victory against the Timberwolves.

Williams scored 18 points and matched a career high with 21 assists for the Nets, who led by double digits for most of the game until Minnesota put together a late rally.

Williams' jumper came after Michael Beasley tied the game with 7.8 seconds to go, and Beasley missed a potential winning three-pointer in the final second. It was a big moment in what could have been Williams' final game of the season.

Nets head coach Avery Johnson said Williams will not play Wednesday against Detroit, and instead will see a specialist about his right wrist, which has been injured since January.

"Even on a night like tonight, his wrist was just getting fatigued and fatigued the whole game, and he still pulled one out of his hat," Johnson said.

Brook Lopez added 30 points and 12 rebounds for the Nets, who snapped a six- game losing streak.

Beasley had 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for Minnesota, which came up just short in its 11th consecutive loss. Anthony Randolph posted 20 points and 10 boards off the bench.

The Timberwolves got back into the game with time winding down in the fourth quarter. A 9-2 burst, capped by Luke Ridnour's jumper with 2:35 left, made it a 99-97 game.

New Jersey went back up by multiple possessions, but after Beasley made two free throws, Williams turned the ball over and Anthony Tolliver dropped in a layup. That trimmed the Nets' lead to 104-103, and after the teams traded turnovers, Sasha Vujacic made 1-of-2 free throws to set up the final sequence.

Beasley got the equalizing points when Travis Outlaw was called for goaltending on his pull-up attempt. But at the other end, Williams was guarded by Ridnour and drove left before pulling up and knocking down the fadeaway.

"A guy like that, he has the ball so much, he gets such a rhythm, 'cause there's so many pick and rolls. He has the ball the whole game," Ridnour said of Williams. "So it's tough to stop someone like that. I thought we did a decent job on those shots, he just hit some big ones."

Lopez poured in 20 points during the first half, shooting 9-for-12 from the field to fuel the Nets' scoring outburst.

They were up 29-23 after the first quarter, then led by as many as 13 before carrying a 61-50 advantage into the break. They shot 53 percent and drained six three-pointers, including three from Vujacic.

The Timberwolves cut their deficit to single digits several times in the third quarter, but couldn't get it down to one or two possessions, and Johan Petro's jumper with half a minute left made it an 85-75 game moving to the fourth.

Game Notes

Vujacic made 4-of-6 three-pointers for New Jersey, finishing with 17 points and a career-high 10 boards...The teams split the two-game season series...Tolliver had 14 points off the Timberwolves' bench, while fellow reserve Martell Webster added 16.