Deron Williams scored a franchise-record 57 points to lead the New Jersey Nets to a 104-101 victory over the Charlotte Bobcasts on Sunday.
"I had an 11:39 tee time, so I had to make sure I'd make that," said Williams, an avid golfer. "So I wanted to contribute."
"The first half was pretty pitiful," Williams said when Bobcats led by as many as 16 in the first half.
Williams scored 17 points in the first half. He then made 22 in the third quarter... He added 18 points in the fourth quarter.
Nets coach Avery Johnson said William was amazing.
"He really was focused," Johnson said. "He was well-rested. He made a lot of shots yesterday in our mini-practice and it carried over into tonight's game. We were going back and forth on whether to have a shoot around this morning and we opted for rest. And he was pretty fresh."
The record 57 points are the most in the NBA this season and second-most points scored against the Bobcats, one behind Kobe Bryant's 58 in 2006.
"You really don't pay attention to it," Williams said. "It's just one of those games where you start feeling good and let it go."
Williams added six rebounds and seven assists on Sunday night.
