NET NOTES
He is the Nets’ most unassuming player – their MUP. With Aaron Williams, “yeah” and “uh-huh” qualify as monologues. You don’t hear too many people calling him zany or madcap. No, they say he’s unassuming.
Along with “tough-as- nails” and just plain valuable.
Williams’ value was never higher than on Monday, when, filling in for not-100-percent starter Todd MacCulloch much of the night, he scored a playoff career-high 15 points and provided the mobility and strength to contest Indiana’s front-court. The muscular, 6-9 Williams has been plagued with tendinitis-stricken knees that will require summer surgery, but he has not missed a game in two seasons.
“To see this kid play for 164 games and play through the pain and some of the injuries that he’s had, I don’t know if there’s anyone in the league as tough as he is,” said coach Byron Scott. “Aaron’s always hurting. He never tells you. Sometimes when he’s running up and down the floor and he’s grimacing on every step, you’ll ask him after practice how he’s doing and he’ll say, ‘I’m doing great.’ “
Williams, who doesn’t appear to crave the spotlight, is a throwback – a lunch-pail guy who espouses basic values like giving an honest effort and working for a paycheck.
“(Attention) just doesn’t matter at all,” Williams said. “We have other guys who deserve it more. As athletes we get paid a lot of money to do a job, and I try to do my job to the best of my ability.”
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Scott expressed some concern over MacCulloch not being 100 percent (foot), but the center said the long layoff in the series should help.
“I’m disappointed I haven’t been able to play better offensively and defensively and be a big factor in the series,” MacCulloch said. “I’m hoping to be more effective in the next couple games and this rest is definitely going to help. Some people probably don’t like to stretch the schedule, and in a different situation I might not either. But right now it’s probably the best thing.”
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Jason Kidd is the leading scorer in the series at 23 ppg. Reggie Miller tops the Pacers at 21.5, followed by Jermaine O’Neal 20. The Nets have forced 38 turnovers and their bench has outscored the Pacers’, 49-31.