Mourning, Nets Eke Out Win Over Blazers
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Alonzo Mourning scored 14 points, including two lay-ups down the stretch, and the Nets found some late offense to beat Portland 64-60 last night in what was nearly the lowest scoring game in modern NBA history.
Mourning, who underwent a kidney transplant in December, led the Nets in scoring in his first start since the 2001-02 season with Miami.
The 124-point total was only five off the previous record for combined scoring futility. Boston beat Milwaukee 62-57 in 1955, the first year of the 24-second clock.
The teams needed more than 47 minutes to get past 119. Portland’s Zach Randolph got the honor of reaching the 120-point mark with a floater with 44.6 seconds left to cut the Nets’ lead to 62-58.
Randolph closed the deficit to two points with two free throws with 13 seconds remaining, but the undermanned Nets – who dressed only 10 players – iced the game when Jacque Vaughn hit two free throws with 13 seconds to play.
Randolph had 16 points to lead the Blazers, who were 19-for-78 (24.4%). Portland was 3-of-19 from 3-point range
Mourning played a season-high 37 minutes, hitting 5 of 10 from the field and grabbing 12 rebounds. The Nets lost big man Jason Collins with an ankle injury in the first half.
Sebastian Telfair, the Brooklyn high school product who was the 13th pick in the NBA draft, played two minutes and didn’t score.
