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Krstic sharp as Nets rout sloppy Knicks

Oct 19, 2007 - 2:24 AM EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Nenad Krstic picked up right where he left off for the New Jersey Nets on Thursday night.

In his first action in nearly a year, Krstic scored 11 points - nailing all five of his shots - in just 15 minutes as the Nets posted a 110-94 victory over the sloppy New York Knicks.

Richard Jefferson scored 25 points and Vince Carter added 22 for the Nets, who played without superstar point guard Jason Kidd.

The perennial All-Star suffered a lower back strain in practice on Sunday, but an MRI on Tuesday showed no damage - allowing the 34-year-old floor general to return to practice sometime next week.

The 7-0 Krstic now is back from his own injury concerns after suiting up for his first game since tearing the ACL in his left knee against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 22, 2006.

He missed the rest of the campaign, leaving a void in the middle for the Nets, who lacked another legitimate back-to-the-basket threat. Krstic also sat out New Jersey's first two preseason contests this season.

But on Thursday, he started and did not miss a beat, showing off his full offensive repertoire - including a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

Carter and Jefferson combined to the shoot 15-of-21 from the field for the Nets, who also showcased top free agent acquisition Jamaal Magloire. The bruising center collected five points and six rebounds while batting Knicks center Eddy Curry.

Curry had 23 points and Jamal Crawford added 22 for New York, which committed 23 turnovers and looked disjointed throughout. The Knicks suffered an embarrassing 40-point loss to the Boston Celtics just one night earlier.

Newcomer Zach Randolph netted just eight points on 3-of-9 shooting in 30 minutes for New York.