"It was in the aftermath of the massacre last Wednesday night that Jerry Stackhouse considered what he had just done to a rookie's ego and came to an interesting conclusion:

"I know one thing about this kid," the Bucks' veteran said after destroying Terrence Williams at Bradley Center, "I'd hate to play him in his next game."

It occurred to Williams later that perhaps Stackhouse knew something about him that he didn't know himself. They had communicated through Nets assistant coach Doug Overton on occasion ("We're going to try to work out together this summer," Williams said), and he knew the veteran had taken an interest.

But when a two-time All-Star predicts that you're going to return with a vengeance after he spends an entire night trying to teach you a lesson, you'd better prove yourself worthy of his confidence.

That's why Williams saved the box score from that Milwaukee game, the one in which Stackhouse outscored him 18-6.

And that's why Williams bounced back Friday night with arguably the best game of his career, a 27-point, 13-rebound, 10-assist magnum opus in the double-overtime triumph over Chicago.

Every step of the way, Stackhouse was still in his head.

"That had everything to do with this game," Williams said before the Nets dropped a 115-102 loss to Indiana tonight. "CDR (Chris Douglas-Roberts) told me, 'Quick amnesia - you gotta forget about it,' and I tried to come out and play a different game. But in the back of my mind, Milwaukee was still there. Shooting 2-for-13, no assists, unable to guard my man - it was there.

"But when you got a vet like Stack telling you something, you're all ears and eyes. You pay attention. It's different from your friend telling you something. He's been through everything. It means a lot."

Stackhouse's actions were an education in itself. He, after all, had been a pro since Williams was eight years old."