Deron Williams had a big game in his return, scoring a season-high 25 points and dishing out seven assists as the Brooklyn Nets held off the Boston Celtics for a 104-96 victory.
Brook Lopez had 24 points. Kevin Garnett had 11 points and nine rebounds and Paul Pierce, also making his return, came off of the bench to score four points and grab seven rebounds against their former team.
Avery Bradley led the Celtics with 22 points while Jeff Green poured in 19.
The Nets lived up to their name Tuesday, shooting 55.7% (39-of-70) from the field while holding the Celtics to just 43.8% (35-of-80) shooting from the field. They also outscored the Celtics in the paint 48-30. The Celtics, however, were on fire from beyond the arch, hitting 11 of their 22 attempts, which got them back into the game.
The loss snapped the Celtics’ three-game winning streak and dropped the to 10-13 on the season. They’ll have another reunion Wednesday night when they host Doc Rivers and the Los Angeles Clippers. With the win, the Nets improved to 7-14. They’ll host the Clippers Thursday night.