NEWARK, N.J. – Deron Williams has no idea the pain the Nets went through last season. He’s feeling his own pain – in his wrist and from not being a part of the postseason.

But he had a great moment as a Net that for the moment made the pain in his wrist go away and made everyone realize how far away from last year this team is.

Williams’ strained right wrist was feeling weak, yet he played 43 minutes, delivered a career-high tying 21 assists and scored the game-winning basket on a step-back jump shot with 1.7 seconds left. The score gave the Nets a much-needed 107-105 victory that was significant for many reasons.

It gave them 24 victories, which is twice as many as they had last season when they finished with a 12-70 mark. It ended a six-game losing streak. It also was Williams’ first game-winner in what might have been his last game of the season.

Williams’ wrist continues to be the big story for the Nets even at this stage of the season. There are only five games left so it makes sense to shut him down. It made sense earlier, but he came back to play in the ESPN-televised game against the Knicks and Sunday’s against the Heat.

This was his fourth game back and he said afterward it’s “probably a possibility” it was his final one.

Williams will see a hand specialist tomorrow and then go from there. Both he and Nets coach Avery Johnson didn’t rule out the possibility of Williams playing in Friday’s game against the Knicks. For some in the Nets’ organization, it’s the second-biggest game of the year. The first was last week’s game on national TV.

But the Nets are not going to traipse Williams out there if he can’t play. It’s the same situation with Kris Humphries, who missed his third straight game and won’t play against Detroit with ankle and heel injuries.

If the Nets don’t have Williams or Humphries, they’re a very long shot to beat the Knicks. But Johnson said both players would be re-evaluated before Friday’s game.

If this was the way Williams went out, he’s leaving on a high. The only thing that would have been better was if he set his career high for assists. Williams should have done that.

He picked up his 21st with 9:20 left in the game. The Nets struggled to score after that and there were some passes he made earlier in the game that should have been converted into scores.

“He’s had an impact on our offense ever since we made the trade,” Johnson said. “We definitely needed every one of his 21 assists.”

“I just think the difference is very obvious between when he plays and when he doesn’t,” said Brook Lopez, who had 30 points and 12 rebounds. “I’m not that much of a believer in numbers but those numbers tonight, it’s tough to argue against those.”

This is what the Nets expected from Williams every not. Maybe not that many assists, but making sure everyone is involved and being able to make game-deciding plays at the end of the game.

He did it with a bum wrist and if this was it this season, Williams went out in fine fashion.

“Yeah, on a win,” he said. “It was good. It ended on a good note.”

We’ll know for sure by Friday if this really was it for Williams, though.

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Follow me on Twitter: @Al_Iannazzone

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Al Iannazzone covers the Nets for The Record (Bergen County, N.J.)