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Carter, Kidd help Nets rally to beat Bulls

Jan 6, 2007 - 5:38 AM EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- The Chicago Bulls felt like Vince Carter and the New Jersey Nets did earlier this season.

Carter scored 21 points and Richard Jefferson added 18 as the Nets rallied for a 91-86 victory over the Bulls.

Jason Kidd had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Bostjan Nachbar added a season-high 16 points in his first start of the season for New Jersey, which overcame an 18-0 first-quarter deficit to beat the Bulls at home for a 10th straight time.

The Nets, who had not played since December 30, missed their first nine shots and did not score until Jefferson made 1-of-2 free throws with 5:26 left in the first period. New Jersey made its first basket came 37 seconds later en route to 15 first-quarter points and roared back to take a 48-43 halftime lead.

"We felt if we could get to the free-throw line and get some points that everyone would relax," Kidd said. "We knew the game wasn't over in the first quarter and we cut the lead down and we felt we were back in the game."

On December 9, the Nets endured a similar fate like the Bulls did Friday. They scored the game's first 18 points before enduring a 92-90 setback to Boston.

New Jersey also rallied in the fourth quarter after Kirk Hinrich buried a 3-pointer to give Chicago an 84-79 lead with 3:10 remaining. Carter answered with 2:50 left, when he outjumped Hinrich for an inbounds pass in the lane and dunked on Andres Nocioni to spark a 10-0 run.

"At the end of the game (energy plays) always help, especially with the crowd and definitely with your team," Carter said. "That gave us a little momentum."

Carter made two free throws and gave the Nets the lead for good at 85-84 with 1:05 remaining after nailing a jumper just inside the arc.

Kidd converted a layup off a steal of Ben Gordon on the Bulls' ensuing possession and, after Chicago's Luol Deng missed two free throws, made the play of the game.

Driving to the lane from the right corner, the seven-time All-Star flipped a righthanded shot over his shoulder with his back to the basket, which gave the Nets an 89-84 lead with 15 ticks left.

"I was just trying to suck somebody in and maybe get an open three and nobody came to me so I just thew it up hoping it would hit the rim and kill time," he said. "But it hit the backboard and went in."

The shot was even more impressive because Kidd made it over the outstretched arm of four-time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace.

"Wallace was there all night," Kidd said. "You know when you go to the basket that he is sitting there and my thought was just to put it over him. A lot of luck."

Hinrich made two free throws with 13 seconds to go and Carter missed both of his attempts from the line, giving the Bulls a final chance.

However, Hinrich missed a driving layup and a follow shot by Ben Wallace was called offensive interference with six seconds remaining.

"I was trying to attack the basket and trying to draw a three-point play instead of just making it because we were down three," Hinrich said. "(Wallace) still tipped it in but it got called off."

"It was good," Wallace said. "I thought it was clean but I'm always going to think it's clean."

Kidd sealed the win with a pair of free throws and collected 10 rebounds, seven assists and five steals for New Jersey, which has not lost to Chicago at home since April 17, 2001.

Deng finished 22 points and 11 rebounds and Nocioni added 19 points for the Bulls, who have lost consecutive games for the first time since a six-game skid from November 14-24. They blew a 16-point lead to Phoenix on Tuesday.

"Both the last two games we've been immature with the ball," Bulls coach Scott Skiles said. "We got really careless. It's happened twice in a row now. That comes back to haunt you."

"The game was coming easy but we had to play for three more quarters," Wallace said. "We just have to play better basketball. We have to do a better job finishing games."

The Bulls made seven of their first 10 shots to jump out to their 18-0 cushion but shot just 34 percent (11-of-32) and committed 10 turnovers in the final 18 minutes of the first half.