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Nets rout Knicks in Kidd's first preseason action

Oct 27, 2007 - 2:09 AM By Larry Fleisher PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- The objective for Jason Kidd's 2007-08 debut was for him to avoid injury. Against the New York Knicks, it also was the usual result for him and the rest of the New Jersey Nets.

Kidd had a successful return to the court as the Nets closed out the exhibition season with a 102-86 victory over the Knicks on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

Vince Carter scored 22 points and Richard Jefferson added 15 for New Jersey, which begins the regular season Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls. Kidd played 30 minutes and collected 10 points, four assists and six rebounds.

Eddy Curry wore a right shoulder brace for what he hopes is the last time and led the Knicks with 19 points but picked up four fouls in the first 6:53 of the third quarter.

Nate Robinson concluded a strong preseason with 14 points while Zach Randolph added 10 before fouling out early in the fourth.

The Nets won four of their six preseason games, including last Thursday's 110-94 rout of the Knicks. Kidd did not play in any of the team's first five games as he sat out with a lower back strain and practiced for the first time since October 14 on Wednesday.

Kidd, who has enjoyed nothing but success against the Knicks in six seasons with New Jersey, continued to do so even in Wednesday's exhibition setting. The Nets took a 52-43 lead at halftime after failing to build on a 14-0 run that bridged the final few minutes of the first and the first few minutes of the second.

That run was capped by Bostjan Nachbar's 3-pointer with 10:21 remaining, but the Knicks came back with a 18-5 spurt which put them within 44-40 on a basket by Curry with 2:44 remaining.

The Nets went over four minutes without a basket before Jefferson had a reverse dunk with 2:29 remaining. They also capitalized on technical fouls on Randolph and Knicks coach Isiah Thomas.

The Nets started strong in the second half, scoring 20 of the first 23 points to open a 72-46 lead with 4:06 remaining while holding the Knicks without a basket for the first 8:13 of the quarter.

New York finished the preseason at 4-3 and will open its second season under Thomas next Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Knicks played without forward Quentin Richardson, who was held out with a sprained left ankle. They also lost starting forward Jared Jeffries with just under seven minutes remaining in the first to a sprained right knee.

Jefferies, who missed 22 games last season, had just hit a baseline jumper and collided with Jefferson at midcourt. He was helped to the locker room by Renaldo Balkman and did not return.