Mo Williams

Left in a helpless disbelief after watching Mo Williams’ tough-shot display graduate from eye-opening to full-on historic, the Indiana Pacers’ defense brainstormed through every tactic it could fathom, from double teams and traps to outside-the-box alignments. None of it mattered on January 13, 2015; with one pull-up after another, the former All-Star introduced a different kind of “zone.” Assertively answering the question of what happens when a streaky shooter gets a neon-green light and 44 minutes to find his rhythm, Williams’ offensive attack — occasionally bordering on audacious — featured buckets from the floor’s entirety during a 19-of-33 output. Highlight among them was Williams’ 28-foot fallaway 3-pointer over David West’s outstretched, 6-foot-9 frame that gave Minnesota a crowd-silencing six-point lead with 1:21 remaining. Preferring to punish from the perimeter, Williams’ eruption saw just four attempts within the paint. The performance also continued the Minnesota Timberwolves’ trend of journeyman, veteran-type scorers unleashing 50-point surprises. Recording the highest point total of his career in Year 12, Williams’ final tally included 52 points, four rebounds, seven assists, and six 3-pointers, captaining a victory.