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Perfect ten Nets shrug off miscues to keep win streak intactPosted: Monday January 06, 2003 10:22 PMUpdated: Tuesday January 07, 2003 2:04 AM
ATLANTA (AP) -- Jason Kidd kept throwing the ball away, but the New Jersey Nets still found a way to win their 10th in a row. It didn't hurt to be playing the dismal Atlanta Hawks. Kidd scored 21 points to help compensate for a team-record 12 turnovers, and Lucious Harris also scored 21 to lead the Nets to a 101-94 victory over the Hawks on Monday night. "I thought I only had one," Kidd said jokingly. "Brett Favre and Michael Vick, they have days when they can't complete a pass, but they still find a way to win the ballgame." Kidd tied the Nets record for turnovers, set by Kevin Porter in 1977. Kidd fell two short of the NBA mark that he shares with John Drew, having 14 turnovers in a game for the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 17, 2000. New Jersey, which had 23 turnovers overall, took control with an early 12-0 run and pushed the lead to 19 points midway through the third quarter. The Hawks, led by Jason Terry with 27 points, lost their fifth in a row. They have won only twice in their last 13 games. "You can't get down 19 to the best team in the East," coach Terry Stotts said. "I didn't like the look on our face. We looked defeated. We need to play with gusto, play like you're meant to be out there and compete against a very good basketball team." In the opening minute, Glenn Robinson stole the ball from Kenyon Martin and set up a layup by Shareef Abdur-Rahim for the game's first basket. That would be Atlanta's only lead of the night. The Nets scored the next 12 points. Martin started the spurt with a turnaround hook, Richard Jefferson finished it with a 17-foot jumper. Atlanta never got closer than five points the rest of the way. Every time the Hawks made a run, New Jersey simply turned up the defensive pressure and kept them from getting any closer. "We played a ragged game," Kidd said. "Some of the games won't be pretty. But not too many teams have a 10-game winning streak." Harris wasn't too concerned about Kidd's turnovers. "That's the way he plays," Harris said. "He goes 100 miles per hour." The Hawks had their usual problems with the ball, giving it up 22 times. "It was a frustrating game," Abdur-Rahim said. "We need to start games better, plays halves better, quarters better. We have to come focused and ready to play." The Nets haven't lost since 101-99 setback at New York on Dec. 17. During the winning streak, New Jersey has won by an average of 16.1 points per game. Jefferson and Martin scored 17 points apiece for the Nets, but Jason Collins was held to two free throws -- ending a streak of three straight games in which all five starters scored in double figures. Robinson had 23 points for the Hawks, but Abdur-Rahim, with 15, was the only other Atlanta player in double figures.
Notes: New Jersey beat the Hawks for the third time this season.
In the process, the Nets snapped a two-game losing streak at
Philips Arena. ... New Jersey has won four straight road games. ...
Since getting off to a 6-4 start, the Hawks are 6-17. ... Atlanta
is 1-5 since Terry Stotts replaced the fired Lon Kruger as coach.
... The Hawks have gone 17 straight games without scoring 100
points. ... The Nets improved to 15-1 when reaching triple figures.
... New Jersey is 17-5 against Eastern Conference teams. ... The
biggest cheer of the night came when Vick, star quarterback of the
hometown Falcons, was shown on the video board. He watched the game
from a courtside seat.
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