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Carter sets team 3-point record, Nets blow by Grizzlies

Dec 12, 2006 - 3:10 AM EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Vince Carter made his first 3-pointer early in the first quarter, so he decided to keep on shooting them.

Carter made a team-record nine 3-pointers and scored 37 points as the New Jersey Nets posted a 105-92 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Richard Jefferson scored 16 points and Jason Kidd recorded his 79th career triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists for the Nets, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

"We need every win we can get," Carter said. "I know we're in fourth place in the conference but our record doesn't look very good. We're a better basketball team than we've shown."

Carter shot 14-of-30 from the field, including 9-of-20 from 3-point range. The seven-time All-Star made his first five 3-pointers and tied his own team record when he made his seventh shot from the arc with 11 seconds left in the first half, giving New Jersey a 52-38 advantage.

"I feel I can hit those shots, but maybe not as much on a regular basis," Carter said. "I just wanted to come out and be aggressive early. Early and often, so to speak."

"Vince was phenomenal," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. "He was very, very active. He did a great job both on and off the ball."

Carter's eighth 3-pointer, which broke the franchise record, came with 6:39 left in the third quarter and put the Nets up, 68-48. His ninth came 28 seconds later, part of five New Jersey made in the period, to break his previous high of eight, which came against Utah on November 10, 2001, when he was a member of the Toronto Raptors.

"It was just like a domino effect," Carter said. "It's fun to play when everyone is hitting shots and sharing the ball."

"Vince was tremendous for us behind the arc and it was contagious," Kidd added. "He was great, he was aggressive, he didn't take any bad shots. Fortunately, Vince was extremely hot from outside and it opened things up for everyone else."

Kidd's triple-double moved him past Wilt Chamberlain for third place on the all-time list. He trails Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson.

"It took me awhile to get my first triple-double in this league," Kidd said. "I just try to go play at a high level and help my team win in whatever category it may be. I'm all about winning."

"It's amazing, he does it with ease," Carter added. "I try like (heck) to get 10 assists and wind up with five. He can (darn) near guarantee you a triple-double, that shows you what an amazing player he is."

New Jersey shot 48 percent (40-of-84) from the field and made 15 3-pointers, which also tied a team record.

"Our guys played loose and they played together," Frank said. "We had 31 assists and led wire-to-wire."

Carter scored 12 points in the first quarter, which ended with the Nets holding a 25-10 lead.

"My goal is to get it (scoring) started and stop waiting for someone else to do it," Carter said. "This was the effort that's been missing."

"We need to something because we can't keep starting out games this," Grizzlies coach Mike Fratello said. "It's tough when he (Carter) is hitting shots like that, it makes them a much tougher team to defend. It's hard to play the final three quarters after digging yourself a hole in the first 12 minutes."

Chucky Atkins scored 26 points and Damon Stoudamire added 14 for Memphis, which shot 45 percent (33-of-74). The Grizzlies have lost three straight and six of their last seven games.

"Something has to change because this is frustrating," Stoudamire said. "We go out there and lose and someone has a career game. Something is always happening like that."