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Swamp thing Van Horn nets triumphant return to MeadowlandsPosted: Sunday February 16, 2003 4:27 PMUpdated: Monday February 17, 2003 2:41 AM
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- In lieu of a big stat line in his return to New Jersey, Keith Van Horn was thrilled to settle for one huge shot that helped the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Nets. Allen Iverson had 32 points and five of Philadelphia's 14 steals and the foul-plagued Van Horn hit a clutch shot over Jason Kidd with 63 seconds to play to lead the 76ers to a 90-83 win Sunday. "Getting the win is No. 1, without question," said Van Horn, who was traded by the Nets after helping them reach the NBA Finals last season. "It doesn't matter what the stats are. The most important thing is the W." Van Horn's jumper over Kidd gave the 76ers an 84-77 lead, enough of a cushion for Philadelphia to withstand a couple of long 3-pointers by Kidd in the final minute. "When you are in foul trouble you're not going to play 40 minutes," said Van Horn, who was limited to nine points in 26 minutes after picking up three first-quarter fouls. "I just tried to keep my focus and stay in rhythm so if I was in there I could produce." Another ex-Net, Derrick Coleman, also had a say in the outcome. The player New Jersey made the No. 1 pick in the 1990 draft added 15 points and 16 rebounds -- including two key putbacks in the final 3:40 as the 76ers gained a measure of revenge for an embarrassing 126-99 loss in the final game before the All-Star break. "We only allowed 17 points in the fourth quarter and six of those were on late 3-pointers," said Philadelphia coach Larry Brown, whose team forced 21 turnovers. "You are not going to defend much better than that. This is as big of a win as you can have." The victory gave the 76ers their first three-game winning streak since mid-December. "We just need wins," said Iverson, who was 10-for-24 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free throw line. "We don't care what team it is. It is a good feeling knowing it is a team at the top of the division. We feel we get a team like this, we can get anybody in the division." Kidd had 21 points for the Nets, who have lost three of four since coming back from the All-Star break. "It's just a matter of fighting through it and being mentally strong," said Kidd, who had eight turnovers. "As a whole we have to stay together. Every good team, Dallas, Sacramento, the Lakers, goes through a tough stretch. I think that will make us stronger once we get to the playoffs." The Nets, who missed 11 free throws, came close to overcoming their mistakes. Kidd's second 3-pointer reduced the 76ers' lead to 86-83 with 23.4 seconds to play. But Iverson then hit two free throws and Greg Buckner added two more after Rodney Rogers threw up an airball on a 3-pointer to give Philadelphia its second win over New Jersey in three games. Kenyon Martin, who missed Friday's game against Chicago with a sore knee, added 17 points for New Jersey. Kerry Kittles, who had 35 points in the win at Philadelphia last week, was limited to eight points as New Jersey lost at home for only the third time in 26 games. "They manhandled us at certain times and I didn't really feel that we responded well to it," said Nets coach Byron Scott, whose team was outrebounded 43-35. Iverson scored eight points in a 16-6 run that gave Philadelphia a 78-72 lead early in the fourth quarter. New Jersey, which had 21 turnovers, made just two of 12 shots and turned the ball over six times in the opening 6:09 of the final quarter. Van Horn, who played his first five seasons with the Nets, received a mixed reception in pre-game introductions. It was all boos the first time he stepped to the foul line to shoot. Van Horn, who was traded after the season in a multi-player deal that sent Dikembe Mutombo to New Jersey, played just 8:07 in the first half. Both teams seemed out of sync in the nationally televised game with a 1 p.m. starting time. Iverson hit a 3-pointer midway through the third quarter to give Philadelphia a 58-52 lead. The six-point deficit seemed to wake up the Nets, who finished the quarter with a Kidd-led 14-4 spurt. Kidd set up a layup by Jason Collins and followed that with a 3-pointer and a jumper in helping New Jersey take 66-62 lead into the final quarter. Notes: Iverson extended his streak of scoring in double figures to 172 games with 10 in the first quarter ... Referee Sean Corbin tumbled head-over-heels after colliding with an ABC cameraman shooting at midcourt. Corbin got up after a few anxious seconds and fellow official Tommy Nunez made a safe sign once he knew Corbin wasn't hurt ... Eric Snow scored 12 points, his 19th straight game in double figures. ... The 76ers are 14-1 when they hold their opponents to 90 points or less.
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