EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Vince Carter scored 23 points and the Nets spoiled Kenyon Martin’s return to New Jersey, holding Denver without a basket for nearly 11 minutes in a 94-79 victory over the Nuggets last night.

The game was Martin’s first in New Jersey since being traded to the Nuggets over the summer after the Nets decided not to match Denver’s free-agent contract offer to the popular All-Star forward.

Martin had the 16,125 fans at the Continental Airlines Arena eating out of his hands from the start. Many gave him a standing ovation before he was introduced, and they went wild when he put his hand to his ear in his trademark pose to get the crowd to cheer more. Smiling, he walked to the Nets’ bench and shook hands with coach Lawrence Frank and a few former coaches and teammates.

Buoyed by the excitement, Martin scored 11 points and the Nuggets hit 12 of their first 15 shots in taking a 31-29 lead in a quarter that had little defense. Denver led 41-37 with 5:14 left in the second quarter when it went ice cold.

Denver did not score a basket in the final 5:13 of the second quarter and it did not get one until Bryon Russell hit a jumper with 6:22 to go in the third.

Carter scored seven straight points in a 14-2 spurt that gave New Jersey a 51-43 halftime lead, and the game got out of hand early in the third quarter when the Nets scored the first 11 points, with rookie Nenad Krstic getting the last five. New Jersey eventually pushed the lead to 26 points, 75-49.

Jason Kidd, who fed Martin on so many ally-oop dunks, had 13 points and eight assists as New Jersey beat the Nuggets for the 14th time in 16 games.

Martin finished with 13 points and Carmelo Anthony had 18 points.