Kidd, Nets down Bucks

Nenad Krstic scored 22 points and pulled down seven rebounds while Vince Carter — who was dealing with flu-like symptoms — added 15 points for the Nets, who have won two of their last three games. Clifford Robinson finished with 12 points for New Jersey, which has won the last four meetings.

Maurice Williams scored 26 points and Michael Redd chipped in 25 points for the Bucks, who have lost five of their last six games. Ruben Patterson netted 15 points in the contest.

Williams’ layup gave the Bucks an 8-3 lead, but the Nets reeled off a 19-1 run, including 11 points from Kidd, for a 22-9 margin. Despite Charlie Bell’s trey as time expired, New Jersey led 31-25 after the opening 12 minutes of play.

The Nets outscored the Bucks 26-19 in the second quarter and took a 57-44 lead into the locker room.

Williams’ three-point play brought the Bucks within 66-60, but New Jersey scored 10 of the next 13 points, capped by four straight free throws from Krstic, for a 76-63 advantage.

However, once again Milwaukee drained a three as time expired, this time by Williams, narrowing the gap to 76-68 heading into the final frame.

Williams’ running jumper cut the deficit to 10, 87-77, with just over 9 1/2 minutes to play, but the Nets countered with eight of the next 10 points, ending with Wright’s layup, for a 95-79 margin with 6:05 on the clock.

A pair of Patterson free throws knocked the lead to single digits, 96-87, with under three minutes remaining, but that was as close as the Bucks would get.

Game Notes

Milwaukee’s Charlie Villanueva missed the game with a sprained left elbow...The Nets travel to Indiana on Friday while Milwaukee welcomes the Pacers on Saturday...Krstic has scored 20 or more in three straight games...New Jersey shot 55.2 percent from the floor, while the Bucks connected on 40.8 percent of its shots from the field...Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut was 0- for-4 from the floor and didn’t score...New Jersey won the rebounding battle 45-30.