Box Score

 

NEW JERSEY (96)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
R Jefferson         38   4-6  8-10   1-3   3   1   16
K Martin            36 10-21   4-4  1-10   4   3   24
J Collins           24   5-6   4-4   2-4   1   3   14
K Kittles           30   4-9   0-2   2-6   2   3    8
J Kidd              40   2-9   0-0   1-6  13   1    5
D Mutombo           18   2-5   0-0   1-6   1   2    4
L Harris            25  6-11   2-2   0-0   3   1   15
R Rogers            20   2-7   2-2   2-3   1   1    6
A Williams           6   2-3   0-0   0-1   0   1    4
B Scalabrine         2   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   1    0
A Johnson            1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
T Slay             DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 37-77 20-24 10-39  28  17   96
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.481, FT-.833. 3-Point Goals:
2-9, .222 (K Martin 0-1, J Kidd 1-4, L Harris
1-4). Team Rebounds: 9. Blocked Shots:4 (K 
Kittles 2, J Collins 2). Turnovers:9 (J Kidd 
4, R Jefferson 2, L Harris, J Collins, R 
Rogers). Steals: 4 (J Kidd 2, L Harris, K 
Kittles).


TORONTO (87)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
M Peterson          45  6-16   2-2   0-5   1   3   18
J Williams          36   4-7   1-1   2-8   0   5    9
M Bradley           18   3-5   0-0   3-7   0   2    6
V Carter            40 10-25   8-9   2-4   3   3   28
A Williams          38  4-14   2-2   2-5   8   3   10
J McCoy             35   3-7   1-2   3-9   2   1    7
R Alston            13   2-5   0-0   0-1   1   2    5
C Jefferies          7   0-1   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
M Baston             8   2-2   0-0   0-0   0   1    4
L Hunter           DNP  - SORE LOWER BACK                                
A Davis            DNP  - STRAINED GROIN                                 
V Lenard           DNP  - RIGHT KNEE INJURY                              
M N'diaye          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 34-82 14-16 12-39  15  20   87
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.415, FT-.875. 3-Point Goals:
5-14, .357 (M Peterson 4-9, V Carter 0-2, A 
Williams 0-1, R Alston 1-2). Team Rebounds: 
7. Blocked Shots:4 (J Williams, J McCoy, V 
Carter, M Baston). Turnovers:10 (J Williams 
2, A Williams 2, J McCoy 2, V Carter 2, R 
Alston, M Peterson). Steals: 5 (A Williams 2,
M Peterson 2, V Carter).

-------------------------------------------
NEW JERSEY           28  21  29  18   -  96
TORONTO              27  19  19  22   -  87
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: None.
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 19,319. T: 2:09. 
Officials: Courtney Kirkland, George Toliver,
Ted Bernhardt.

Extended Box

 

NEW JERSEY (96) AT TORONTO (87)

NEW JERSEY

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
R JEFFERSON       F    38    4-6      8-10     1   2   3    3   1   0   2   16
K MARTIN          F    36   10-21     4-4      1   9  10    4   3   0   0   24
J COLLINS         C    24    5-6      4-4      2   2   4    1   3   0   1   14
K KITTLES         G    30    4-9      0-2      2   4   6    2   3   1   0    8
J KIDD            G    40    2-9      0-0      1   5   6   13   1   2   4    5
D MUTOMBO              18    2-5      0-0      1   5   6    1   2   0   0    4
L HARRIS               25    6-11     2-2      0   0   0    3   1   1   1   15
R ROGERS               20    2-7      2-2      2   1   3    1   1   0   1    6
A WILLIAMS              6    2-3      0-0      0   1   1    0   1   0   0    4
B SCALABRINE            2    0-0      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   0    0
A JOHNSON               1    0-0      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    0
T SLAY                DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   37-77    20-24    10  29  39   28  17   4   9   96
                            (.481)  (.833)  TEAM REBS:  9 TOTAL TO: 10 (3 PTS)     

TORONTO

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
M PETERSON        F    45    6-16     2-2      0   5   5    1   3   2   1   18
J WILLIAMS        F    36    4-7      1-1      2   6   8    0   5   0   2    9
M BRADLEY         C    18    3-5      0-0      3   4   7    0   2   0   0    6
V CARTER          G    40   10-25     8-9      2   2   4    3   3   1   2   28
A WILLIAMS        G    38    4-14     2-2      2   3   5    8   3   2   2   10
J MCCOY                35    3-7      1-2      3   6   9    2   1   0   2    7
R ALSTON               13    2-5      0-0      0   1   1    1   2   0   1    5
C JEFFERIES             7    0-1      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    0
M BASTON                8    2-2      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   0    4
L HUNTER              DNP  - SORE LOWER BACK                                          
A DAVIS               DNP  - STRAINED GROIN                                           
V LENARD              DNP  - RIGHT KNEE INJURY                                        
M N'DIAYE             DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   34-82    14-16    12  27  39   15  20   5  10   87
                            (.415)  (.875)  TEAM REBS:  7 TOTAL TO: 11 (14 PTS)    
  
   NEW JERSEY         28   21   29   18   -   96
   TORONTO            27   19   19   22   -   87
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: NEW JERSEY - K KITTLES 2, J COLLINS 2.  TORONTO - J WILLIAMS,
J MCCOY, V CARTER, M BASTON.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: NEW JERSEY 2-9 (.222), K MARTIN 0-1, J KIDD 1-4,
L HARRIS 1-4. TORONTO 5-14 (.357), M PETERSON 4-9, V CARTER 0-2, A WILLIAMS 0-
1, R ALSTON 1-2.
TECHNICAL FOULS: NONE.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: COURTNEY KIRKLAND, GEORGE TOLIVER, TED BERNHARDT.
A - 19,319. T - 2:09.

Game Story

TORONTO (Ticker) -- The New Jersey Nets got healthy and into 
first place on Sunday.

Kenyon Martin scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the
Nets moved into a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference
with a 96-87 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

The Nets starting forward had missed three games with a sprained
right knee and was listed as questionable right until game
time.  But he returned in time to lead New Jersey (48-29) the
Detroit Pistons for the top spot in the East.

"I wanted to see what I could do and it felt good once I got
going," said Martin, who shot 10-of-21 from the field. "It's
been tough sitting around, so it felt good to come out and
contribute."

"He was big down low and defensively," Nets point guard Jason
Kidd said.  "He's been out, so for him to come out and get some
of the rust off and look as good as he did is a big plus for
us."

The Pistons lost, 89-83, to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday
night.

"This win was huge," Martin said. "It's very important in terms
of controlling the East.  Detroit has some tough games so we
needed to come up here and get a win."

Richard Jefferson added 16 points and Lucious Harris - who also
sat out the past three contests with a sprained left ankle -
contributed 15 for New Jersey, which has won six of its past
seven.

The Nets, who have won five of their last six meetings with the
Raptors overall, took the season series for the first time since
the 1997-98 campaign. They have won three straight in a series
that concludes at Continental Airlines Arena on April 12.

Vince Carter led Toronto with 28 points but suffered a moderate
left ankle sprain with 31 seconds left.  Carter went up for a
turnaround jumper and came down on Jefferson's foot.  While
X-rays came back negative, he will likely miss the remainder of
the season.

"It looks like a bad sprain," Raptors coach Lenny Wilkens said.
"We watched it on the replay and he comes down and catches his
foot on the side of Richard Jefferson's foot and turns it.  You
can see that he turned it pretty good."

"Yeah, he came down on my foot," said Jefferson, who currently
stars in a sneaker commercial with Carter.

Carter scored just eight points after halftime.

"J-Kidd was basically directing me, and Vince heard what he was
saying and it really just messed up his whole game plan,"
Jefferson said.  "I was more of a decoy up on him and J-Kidd was
really the defender."

New Jersey took control in the third quarter with a 25-10 run
which began with 7:22 left on Kerry Kittles' reverse layup and
closed with 40 seconds to go on a 3-pointer by Kidd that put the
Nets ahead, 76-63.

"In the second half, we just stayed patient," said Kidd, who had
just five points but dished out 13 assists and pulled down six
rebounds.  "They made a run at us, but we executed and got good
shots.  Make or miss, we had good shots and we didn't turn the
ball over, and that's what you have to do to be successful in
the playoffs."

Carter's basket with 1:38 left moved Toronto within 92-85, but
Martin made a layup and Harris drained a 13-foot jumper to seal
the victory.

Wilkens was asked why Carter was playing late in the game for
the lottery-bound Raptors.

"There was still time and guys want to win, so we're out there
trying to win," he said. "We're trying to score and the game's
not over.  You hit a couple of 3-point shots, which has been
done, and all of a sudden it changes things.  We don't have
Voshon (Lenard, out with a right knee contusion), so we don't
have another 2-guard there and (Carter) was playing pretty good
down the stretch."

"Ankles are a hot spot and you can get a lot of pain down in
that area, especially when all your weight comes down on
somebody's foot like that," said Toronto forward Jerome
Williams, who had nine points and eight rebounds. "It was tough.
We are out there to win games.  We don't want anyone to get
hurt but at the same time we're not going to cash in the
season."

Jason Collins scored a season-high 14 points for the Nets, who
shot 48 percent (37-of-77) from the field and yielded only three
points on 10 turnovers.

Morris Peterson contributed contributed 18 points and Alvin
Williams had 10 and eight assists as the Raptors lost for the
13th time in their last 17 games.  They shot 41.5 percent
(34-of-82), including 5-of-14 from 3-point range, and were
outscored, 33-14, on fast break points.