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Late spurt lifts Nets over Sixers

Apr 14, 2012 - 4:11 AM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Another winnable game, another loss the Philadelphia 76ers can't afford.

Gerald Green scored 23 points, MarShon Brooks had 22 and both hit key three- pointers down the stretch to lead the New Jersey Nets to a 95-89 win over the Sixers on Friday night.

Kris Humphries added 18 points and 13 rebounds and Jordan Williams scored 13 for the Nets, who have won three of four.

The Sixers, in a battle for one of the last spots in the Eastern Conference playoffs, had a two-game winning streak snapped after letting the Nets close the game on a 10-4 run.

Jrue Holiday scored 19 points, Evan Turner had 18 and Thaddeus Young chipped in 13 in the loss.

The back-breaker came with 1:41 remaining when Green buried a three-pointer off a Sixers turnover to give the Nets a 90-85 lead.

Philadelphia was still within five moments later until Brooks pulled up from the left side for his three to make it 95-87 with 43.8 seconds left.

The Sixers, who were coming off a 2-1 road trip, will begin a three-games-in- three-nights stretch at Orlando on Monday. They remained three games behind Boston for first place in the Atlantic Division but also fell into a virtual tie with New York for the eighth and final playoff spot after the Knicks beat Washington on Friday.

"I'm at a loss, I didn't see that coming," Sixers coach Doug Collins said of the devastating defeat. "We had such a good spirit the last two games."

On the other side, it was a big revenge game for the Nets, who were beaten, 107-88, at home by the Sixers on Tuesday.

"We were really out of sorts the last time we played them," Nets coach Avery Johnson said. "We had a chance to break the film down, and fortunately we made some shots."

Humphries scored 10 points and the Nets forced five Sixers turnovers in the first quarter, taking a 24-18 lead into the second.

The Sixers, behind seven points from Holiday and five each from Spencer Hawes and Young coming off the bench, outscored New Jersey 26-17 in the second quarter for a 44-41 edge at the break. They ended the half on a 12-5 run.

Philadelphia had the biggest lead of the third quarter at six points and was ahead 66-63 going into the fourth.

Game Notes

The Nets open a three-game homestand Saturday against Boston...Both teams shot 34-of-81 from the floor (42 percent)...The Sixers finished with 16 turnovers for 20 New Jersey points.