Carter, Nets edge Charlotte

Richard Jefferson totaled 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Nenad Krstic added 22 points for the Nets, who snapped a seven-game road losing streak. Jason Kidd narrowly missed a triple-double with 11 points, nine boards and nine assists, as New Jersey posted its first away win since January 18 at Philadelphia.

Brevin Knight had a season-high 28 points for Charlotte (14-40), which goes into the All-Star break with the fewest wins in the NBA. Jumaine Jones added 18 points for the Bobcats, who were without center Primoz Brezec (tendinitis in left Achilles). Charlotte lost its fourth straight game.

Carter also had seven rebounds and seven assists, as New Jersey (28-23) won for the fifth time in seven contests leading to the All-Star break. The Nets hold the top spot in the Atlantic Division.

Carter’s two free throws gave the Nets a 93-92 lead with 23.3 seconds left, but Matt Carroll’s jumper from the right wing over Carter gave the Bobcats the lead back with 16.1 showing on the clock.

Carter then missed on his drive to the hoop after challenging Melvin Ely, but tipped in his own miss.

Knight missed a layup at the other end after New Jersey’s Clifford Robinson disrupted the shot, and Kidd was fouled with 1.7 seconds left. Kidd missed the two free throws, but the Bobcats were left without a timeout and Jones failed to get off a desperation shot.

Robinson ended with 10 points, as the Nets outrebounded Charlotte, 48-34.

Ely had 15 points and nine boards, while Carroll ended with 14 points.

The Nets led by as many as 18 points, at 31-13 on a Krstic jumper in the final minute of the opening quarter. The Bobcats, though, used a 10-1 run to get within 39-36 in the second quarter. The game was tied at 48 at halftime and the Nets led 76-73 going into the fourth.

Game Notes

Jake Voskuhl started in place of Brezec and had four points and four fouls in 24 minutes....New Jersey had held its opponents to 100 points or less in 17 of its last 18 games...Charlotte fell to 3-33 when scoring under 100 points...New Jersey swept the season series against Charlotte last year 4-0, holding Charlotte under 100 points in each of the contests...Charlotte is winless at home against New Jersey going 0-2 during the 2004-05 season and 0-2 during this season.