Thanks, Cleveland! Nets 113, Cavs 95 (Game Grades)

Deron-Williams65

Deron Williams POINT GUARD

DUNKED! HE DUNKED AND IT WAS REAL! Okay, other than the fact that HE DUNKED!, Williams had another great night: hit shots inside and out, moved into third place in Nets franchise history for three-pointers made in a single season, and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 8:1. Plus he got in a fake fight with Keith Bogans. So good day.

Brook Lopez CENTER

Was maybe the fourth- or fifth-best Nets player tonight and they didn’t need him to be anything more.

Andray Blatche POWER FORWARD

Earlier this season I called Andray Blatche the dumbest genius on the planet. I’m not sure I can top that.

Keith Bogans SHOOTING GUARD

The only sad spot tonight.

MarShon Brooks SHOOTING GUARD

Hot start in the starting lineup: scored on back-to-back drives to the basket (the second a stutter-step into a dunk), assisted on back-to-back Reggie Evans dunks, ran ahead of the Cavaliers defense and threw down a double-clutch dunk in transition… and that was just his first three shots.

Brooks made his first ten shots, notched a season high in points before the first half ended, threw at least three passes in the first half that made me do a double-take to make sure it was Brooks throwing them (and I’m bullish on MarShon as a creator), and finished with a career high scoring and tying his career high in assists. This is the type of game Brooks likely won’t have against stingier defenses — something Cleveland isn’t — and the turnovers are a concern, but it’s still great to see him do it against the Cavs, who have the equivalent of a playoff team’s second unit.

Reggie Evans POWER FORWARD

This is the seventh time in nine games that Evans has grabbed 16 or more rebounds in a game, and for much of the game he had more defensive rebounds than the entire Cavaliers team. Tristan Thompson is the kind of big man Evans normally struggles against, but he held his ground tonight.

Jerry Stackhouse SHOOTING GUARD

JERRY STACKHOUSE DUNKED IN TRAFFIC. THAT IS ALL.

C.J. Watson POINT GUARD

Red-hot shooting from deep continues and played a better point guard than most of the season.