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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Stephon Marbury scored 10 points in
91 seconds, giving the Nets a lead that seemed safe. Vince Carter
had other ideas, although he couldn't complete Toronto's comeback
because he missed a free throw with 3.3 seconds left.
Marbury had 35 points and a season-high 14 assists and the New
Jersey Nets made 13 3-pointers -- tying their most since joining the
NBA in 1976 -- in a 113-111 victory over Toronto on Wednesday night.
Marbury scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, including his
10-point burst early in the period, as New Jersey opened a
13-point lead. Toronto came back to tie it, however, before the
Nets got lucky at the end as Carter stole an inbound pass, was
fouled and missed the first of two free throws with a chance to tie
the game.
"That's not the way we want to play. We want to be in the game
from the beginning and not have to fight from (13) down to get back
in it," said Carter, whose team lost for the third time in four
games. "I think we're better than what we're showing."
Carter finished with 39 points for Toronto, while Morris
Peterson added 17 points and Mark Jackson 16.
Keith Van Horn added 28 points for the Nets but made just one of
two free throws with 2.2 seconds left. That gave the Raptors one
more chance, but Jackson was way off on a 3-point attempt from the
corner at the buzzer.
"The play was designed for Keon (Clark). We saw him open, but
the ball went somewhere else," Toronto coach Lenny Wilkens said of
the final play.
Lucious Harris made four 3-pointers and scored 16 for the Nets,
while Kenyon Martin added 15 points. Marbury also had four
3-pointers, and Van Horn tied his career high with five 3s.
Neither team seemed particularly interested in playing defense,
and the game had an offensive pace that is rare in the NBA these
days.
The Nets looked to run their offense capitalizing on the speed
of Marbury against the slow-footed Jackson, while the Raptors
continually tried to exploit the matchup of Martin trying to defend
Carter.
"We were both bad defensively, but we got it done," Marbury
said.
The Nets had 87 points by the end of the third quarter on 53
percent shooting, but their lead was only 87-80 after Carter closed
the third with a two-handed dunk for his 28th and 29th points.
Carter picked up his fifth foul with 9:12 remaining in the
fourth, but Wilkens left him in the game. Less than a minute later,
Marbury had single-handedly given the Nets a 13-point lead after
scoring 10 points in the span of 91 seconds.
Toronto answered with runs of 8-1 and 10-0 to tie the game at
104 with 2:50 left, but Martin scored from down low with 2:26 left
to give New Jersey the lead for good.
"What the last couple weeks shows is that we can win against
anybody in this league if we play hard and play smart," said
Marbury, whose team is 18 games under .500 but has defeated the
Lakers, Spurs, 76ers and Raptors in the past 2 1/2 weeks.
Game notes
Neither team is expected to be active before the 6 p.m.
Thursday trading deadline, although the Raptors would like to find
a taker for Corliss Williamson. ... Nets guard Sherman Douglas
missed his second straight game because of an illness in his
family. ... Marbury's previous season-high was 12 assists. His
career-high is 20.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
New Jersey Clubhouse
RECAPS
Philadelphia 107
Vancouver 91
LA Clippers 100
Cleveland 94
Detroit 90
New York 85
Phoenix 100
Miami 85
New Jersey 113
Toronto 111
Houston 89
Minnesota 83
LA Lakers 101
San Antonio 99
Seattle 127
Denver 98
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