"A prime topic of discussion around the Nets these past few days has been Yi Jianlian. Devin Harris may have rolled all the positive talk into one sentence.

"He's shooting the ball with confidence, attacking the rim with tenacity," Harris said.

And that pretty much sums up Yi in his two games after sitting 24 with, first, a sprained knee and then a gash in his mouth and upper lip that required 50 stitches.

On Wednesday, Yi was a perimeter force, scoring 22 points with quality shooting that included 4-of-6 on 3-pointers during the Nets' 103-99 loss to the Timberwolves. Then against Houston Saturday, Yi was in full attack mode. He even dunked three times en route to 17 points -- even picked up a technical for hanging on the rim.

"Probably like the most dunks in my career in the NBA," Yi said. Definitely the most technicals.

There is a change in Yi, whether he's dialing it up outside or trying to drive it and get inside. He's not thinking or worrying. He's just doing.

Part of it is that he has two of his biggest supporters on the sidelines -- interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe, who helped devise the trade for him, and assistant Del Harris, who started Yi in the Olympics when he coached the Chinese National team in 2004.

So if Yi makes a mistake these days, he can feel down. But he doesn't stay down.

"It doesn't mean you don't care about your mistakes," said Yi, who's bigger than ever in China this season due to the injury to Houston's Yao Ming. "But I do feel more comfortable if I make mistakes. I know I just have to [come] back.""