Nets Dump Knicks, Move Closer to Final Spot

Vince Carter scored 27 points, Richard Jefferson added 26, and the Nets moved within one game of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a 106–91 victory over the Knicks last night.

New Jersey beat its cross-Hudson rivals for the first time this season after three losses. Nenad Krstic added 22 points for the Nets, who are a half-game ahead of Indiana (29–41) and one game behind Atlanta (30–39) in the conference standings. Jefferson scored 21 of his points in the first half as the Nets took a 56–45 lead into the break. The Knicks, who have lost five in a row and 12 of their last 13, pulled back within 11 points, 63–52, on David Lee's layup with 8:55 remaining in the third quarter.