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Maggette lifts Clippers over slumping Nets in overtime

Jan 20, 2008 - 7:50 AM By Jonathan Raber PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Clippers hung tough and picked up a morale-boosting home win.

Corey Maggette had a season-high 31 points as the Clippers pulled away in overtime to post a 120-107 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Saturday night.

Chris Kaman finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds and a career- high nine blocks and Al Thornton and Sam Cassell each had 22 points for the Clippers, who have now won consecutive home games for the first time since going 2-0 to open the season.

"I like the way we bounced back from last night," said Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy, whose team fell on the road to the Utah Jazz on Friday. "Guys came out playing hard in overtime after playing back-to-back games. They showed a lot of energy, a lot of heart."

The Clippers outscored the Nets, 19-6, in the extra period, making five of their six shots, including sinking nine foul shots. New Jersey, meanwhile, made just 1-of-8 shots from the floor in overtime.

"I think it was our team defense, collectively," Kaman said. "We played better, we shot the ball better and we made our free throws. It was good."

Los Angeles had lost 11 of 12 games at the Staples Center, before defeating the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, arguably its biggest win of the season.

"We've been playing better in the last five or six games," Kaman said. "Hopefully, we can keep it up, playing hard and (do) it together."

In this one, Cassell sealed the victory with a running layup with 52 ticks left in overtime to put his team ahead, 114-106.

"In overtime, our guys really defended well and played with passion," Dunleavy said.

Jason Kidd, who finished with 10 points and 11 assists, tied the score with six seconds left in regulation on a 3-pointer from the left wing.

Both clubs had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Tim Thomas' layup with 1.1 left was blocked by athletic New Jersey forward Sean Williams.

The Nets' subsequent inbounds pass was knocked away as the horn sounded with the score tied 101-101 apiece.

The Nets, who began a season-high six-game road trip on Saturday, have now lost four in a row on the road against the Clippers and have also lost four straight and five of six overall.

"When we won close games, we were getting stops down the stretch," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. "When you have a lead like we did, we need to have the ability to get stops."

Al Thornton gave the Clippers a burst heading into the final quarter, nailing a running one-footer from the arc that banked of the glass as the clock expired to get within 72-71.

Maggette, who now has scored 20-plus points in five straight games, gave the Clippers some breathing room by knocking down a 3-pointer from the left wing to cap a 7-0 run for a 101-96 lead with 45 seconds remaining in the game before New Jersey stormed back.

Richard Jefferson scored 21 points, Vince Carter had 20 and Marcus Williams and Josh Boone each contributed 17 apiece for the Nets.

"We had our mental mistakes tonight," Boone said. "We are on the right track, but we just need to get a full 48 minutes together."