NETS 96 – MAGIC 93
It was halftime last night and the Nets, a team some forecast to win 50 games, were losing by 10 to Orlando, a team some predicted might need to go to the corner bar and grab bodies to field a team.
But after the undermanned Magic shot 67.6 percent in the opening half, Nets coach Lawrence Frank had a few colorful pointers for his gang.
“He came in and put some numbers on the board,” said Richard Jefferson. “They were shooting 67 percent and the 11 shots they missed, they had six offensive rebounds. We weren’t doing what we were supposed to be doing.”
So in the second half, the Nets did what they were supposed to do. And down the stretch, Jason Kidd did the most.
One night after Vince Carter delivered 45 points in a come-from-behind victory in Milwaukee, Kidd produced the key baskets in the clutch.
The Nets went from bad to good, and then to lucky as the Magic missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer.
So with Kidd, Jefferson and Carter each cracking 20 points and everyone playing tight defense, the Nets escaped with a 96-93 victory at the Meadowlands and improved to seven games over .500.
“Vince might have been a little tired because we put so much weight on him [Tuesday], said Kidd, who finished with 28 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. “I didn’t want him to feel that he has to do it every night. That’s what teammates do.”
For the Nets (30-23), this victory was harder than it might have seemed before the game. After all, the Magic (19-34) were vastly undermanned through injury (Grant Hill, Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson) and the trade of Steve Francis earlier in the day.
Still, Orlando, behind Keyon Dooling (23 points) shot lights out early and built a lead that reached 13 by the third quarter.
“They shot it extremely well,” said Cliff Robinson. “I mean, 67 percent, you would think we’d be down more.”
Added Frank: “The bottom line, our effort level in the second half was dramatically different than the first half.”
That effort started on defense, where Robinson led a clampdown that reduced the Magic from .676 marksmen to .382 masons.
The Nets rallied from 13 down, but then blew a five-point lead in the fourth. Then Jason Collins tapped an offensive rebound to Robinson, who tapped it out to Kidd, who broke an 85-all tie with a clutch 3-pointer. On the next possession, Kidd drove, scooped and pushed the lead to 90-85.
“I was a little hesitant to shoot the three after we got the long rebound,” Kidd said. “I thought maybe we could get a better shot. Then I tossed that plan out . . .”
Tuesday, Carter supplied the heroics.
“That’s the beauty of a three-headed monster,” said Carter (22 points).
The Magic refused to go away, though, scoring on three straight possessions, including a Pat Garrity trifecta, while the Nets sandwiched a jumper by Jefferson (23 points) and two Carter free throws to make it 94-92.
Kidd added two FTs at :18.0 for a 96-92 lead but still, the game was not over. Dwight Howard (17 points) made one free throw at :09.0 and the Magic rebounded. Carlos Arroyo got an open three at :02.9 – but missed.
“I had a good shot,” Arroyo said. “Jason Kidd didn’t even jump; he gave me a wide open shot. I took it, thought it was going in.”