Nets Roll Over Pacers for Fourth Straight Victory
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INDIANAPOLIS – Vince Carter scored 39 points, including 14 in the third quarter when the Nets pulled away, and New Jersey beat the Indiana Pacers 94-85 yesterday for a season-best fourth straight win.
The Nets, who trailed most of the first quarter, took the lead in the second period and broke the game open in the third behind Carter and rookie center Nenad Krstic.
“We wanted to see how they would play me. We wanted to see how they would react to us and see where we could attack them,” Carter said. “I just continued to attack and we stuck with what worked.”
Two straight baskets by Krstic off assists from Jason Kidd and a basket by Carter put New Jersey up by 10 early in the third quarter. Anthony Johnson hit two 3-pointers to help keep the Pacers close, but Carter countered with a 3-pointer and two free throws, and Krstic scored again as the Nets built their lead to 17 late in the period.
Reggie Miller, coming off a 39-point performance Friday night against the Lakers, was held to 13, although his steal and fast-break dunk and then free throw on a technical foul against Carter brought the Pacers within 12 midway through the final quarter.
Once again, though, Carter took over, scoring on an offensive rebound and then on a three-point play to push the lead to 83-66. Indiana never came closer than 10 until the final minutes, when 3-pointers by Miller and Fred Jones made it 91-85. Two free throws by Travis Best and one of two foul shots by Kidd finished the scoring in the closing seconds.
“For us to come in here and get a win is big,” Kidd said. “Now we have to go back and protect home court.”
Krstic finished with 18 points, while Kidd had 14 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists.
Carter is averaging 26.3 ppg in 42 games with the Nets and has scored 20 or more points in 30 of the last 32 games.
Stephen Jackson led Indiana with 21 points despite being out from midway through the first quarter to the start of the second with a shin injury, while Johnson added 18 and Jones 14.
Nets coach Lawrence Frank said Carter’s third-quarter scoring burst was a byproduct of good defense by the Nets.
“We were able to get consecutive stops, and then Vince obviously was very effective. He made a lot of perimeter shots and had a good diversity to his game,” Frank said.
