EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Vince Carter scored 22 points to lead a balanced attack as the Nets beat the Knicks 96-83 last night for their 12th straight home win.

Richard Jefferson scored 18, Nenad Krstic had 14, and reserve Clifford Robinson had 12 as the Nets (26-21) moved within one game of the franchise record for consecu tive home wins, set in 2001-02 and equaled the following season.

Jalen Rose led New York (14-34) with 22 points in his third game with the team since being acquired from Toronto. Channing Frye added 17 off the bench.

The Knicks have lost 13 of their last 14 games, and fell to 0-7 when Stephon Marbury hasn’t played because of a shoulder injury.

The Nets are 16-3 in their last 19 games against New York.

Referee Dick Bavetta officiated his 2,135th consecutive game, breaking the record for most games officiated set by former ref Jake O’Donnell.

New Jersey led by 13 at halftime and sprinted away in the third quarter with a series of highlight-reel plays. Carter had the play of the game with a 360-degree spin and finger roll past Eddy Curry for a three-point play that gave the Nets a 62-42 lead.

Later in the period, Carter had consecutive dunks on a fast break and rebound, followed by a reverse dunk by Jefferson that made the score 73-52.

New Jersey’s reserves played most of the fourth quarter and got the lead up to 91-67 before the Knicks scored 12 straight points to halve the lead.

The Nets started the game slowly, making only three of their first 14 shots as the Knicks built a 24-19 lead late in the first quarter.They soon found their range and made eight of their next 12 to take command.

Bench players sparked the surge, starting with Scott Padgett, who sank two 3-pointers to end the first quarter and blocked a dunk attempt by Frye. Robinson tipped a pass that Padgett fed to Carter for an acrobatic fast-break score to start the second quarter, and made a 3-pointer to cap a 13-2 run that gave the Nets a 53-38 lead.

The Knicks have used 29 different starting lineups this season, the most in the NBA. “Everybody counts how many lineups we’ve had, but every day when I go into the dressing room I don’t know who’s going to be healthy and that impacts the lineup,” coach Larry Brown said.

In the injury report, Knicks forward Maurice Taylor bruised his left knee in the first half and did not return. Jason Kidd left the game briefly in the first quarter after getting hit in the face accidentally by New York’s Jamal Crawford. He returned later in the quarter with a bandage over his left eye. A few minutes after Kidd returned, Carter was struck in the face by an elbow from Padgett but was not injured.

Carter flattened Malik Rose with a blind pick on the last play of the first half, leaving Rose temporarily dazed.