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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Antawn Jamison and the Golden State
Warriors have been aching for a win like this.
|  | | Golden State's Marc Jackson owns this rebound in front of New Jersey's Aaron Williams. |
Jamison scored 28 points and Marc Jackson had 17 points and 13
rebounds as the Warriors ran away in the third quarter for a 109-87
victory over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night.
With an outstanding second half, the Warriors rolled to their
easiest victory of the year and brightened the mood on a team that
has desperately tried to stay together in the face of a brutal
spate of injuries. For one night, at least, Golden State's
persistence paid off.
"The best thing about it is the last four or five minutes,"
Jamison said. "I can sit on the bench and just laugh. I haven't
had one of those games in a while."
Mookie Blaylock shook off the flu to score 20 points for the
injury-depleted Warriors, who had five players in street clothes
but still won for the third time in four games, matching their best
stretch of the season.
The 22-point victory margin was Golden State's largest of the
season, surpassing two 21-point wins over Minnesota. It was even
more impressive given the Warriors' 100-78 loss at Utah on Tuesday
night.
"I'm really proud of how we responded from a tough game last
night," Warriors coach Dave Cowens said. "As undermanned as we
are, we just haven't stopped working hard. Not too many teams in
this league can honestly say that."
Golden State broke open a close game between sixth-place teams
by scoring 15 straight points during a 24-5 run in the third.
Jackson had 12 points in the quarter and Blaylock added 11 as the
Warriors exposed the Nets' lack of a strong low-post defender -- or
any kind of defender, judging by New Jersey's last two games.
After allowing Sacramento to shoot 56 percent in a 130-104 loss
on Tuesday night, the Nets were run off the court by the NBA's
fifth-worst team. Stephen Jackson and reserve Johnny Newman scored
13 points apiece, and Keith Van Horn had 12 as New Jersey lost its
third straight road game.
"This is probably the lowest point we've hit all year," Van
Horn said. "We're going to have to make changes in our attitudes
and our play. It appeared to be that we quit in the second half. We
were playing like the game was over when it wasn't."
After his team's latest disaster, Nets coach Byron Scott
continued to fume about his players' effort. Scott compared his
players to women -- and later apologized to women for the
unflattering comparison -- after a loss last week.
"What can you say? It's very easy to be a loser in this
league," Scott said. "That's the easy way out. There's a bunch of
guys in there who are not committed to winning right now. There's
no commitment to playing smart.
"There's no excuses. If you go in (the locker room) and hear 10
excuses, that's (incorrect). Winning is hard. It takes a total
commitment. We're not getting that commitment."
Golden State snapped a four-game losing streak against New
Jersey, which must travel to Los Angeles to meet the Lakers on
Friday in the third game of a four-game trip.
"I can't believe we would come in here and lose to these guys,
but we did," Kendall Gill said. "Now we have to face a monster."
Jamison kept the Warriors in the game in the first half with 16
points and 10 of his 12 rebounds. He contributed six points in the
decisive third quarter, when the Warriors got 29 of their 32 points
from Jamison, Marc Jackson and Blaylock.
The Nets went eight possessions without a score, made 11
turnovers in the quarter and couldn't stop the Warriors' three
scorers on the other end. When Golden State made a 13-5 run to open
the fourth quarter, the Warriors earned the rare privilege of
resting their starters at the end of a victory.
"Just running away like that, we haven't done that in a
while," Jackson said. "In the second half, we just put together
all the things we've been talking about."
Stephon Marbury went 4-for-13 from the field and had 11 points --
13 below his average. The Nets had five players in double figures
but shot just 39 percent.
Larry Hughes returned to Golden State's lineup after missing
seven games with a sprained thumb. He had 10 points as a reserve
but shot just 2-for-12.
Game notes
Vonteego Cummings banked in a 3-pointer from two steps
behind the arc at the halftime buzzer, giving Golden State a 55-51
lead at intermission. ... Gill saw action for the second straight
game after missing seven straight with right knee tendinitis. He
was tentative against the Kings on Tuesday night, but looked
stronger against the Warriors. He finished with seven points. ...
When Jackson and Kenyon Martin lined up for a free throw, a heckler
shouted, "Meet the rookie of the year, Kenyon Martin!" Jackson, a
second-round pick by the Warriors in 1997, is averaging 12.7 points
and 6.7 rebounds to Martin's 10.9 points and 7.2 rebounds.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
New Jersey Clubhouse
Golden State Clubhouse
RECAPS
Cleveland 94
Chicago 86
Phoenix 106
Detroit 73
Miami 103
Toronto 83
Charlotte 81
New York 67
Philadelphia 85
Houston 84
Golden State 109
New Jersey 87
Seattle 114
LA Clippers 110
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Antawn Jamison Official Site
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