Nets get back on track with win over Hornets

Jason Kidd totaled 15 points, 12 boards, and nine assists, Richard Jefferson tallied 19 points and Nenad Krstic chipped in 17 points and eight rebounds for the Nets, who have now defeated the Hornets six consecutive times.

Chris Paul scored 17 points and had seven helpers, while Speedy Claxton came off the bench to contribute 12 points and five steals for the Hornets, whose struggles continued with their sixth straight loss.

The game was broken open in the third quarter, as the Nets embarked on a 15-2 run that began with Kidd sinking a three-pointer. Jefferson capped the run with a pair of freebies from the line to give the Nets a 19-point cushion, 66-47, with 3:43 to play in the quarter.

The Hornets entered the fourth quarter trailing 70-57. However they slowly chipped away at the lead and got to within four with 2:41 remaining, as Paul spun his way down the lane for a layup to make the score 82-78.

That is as close as the Hornets would get, however, as Kidd drained a shot from long distance and Krstic hit a layup to extend the lead to nine with 1:15 remaining. The Nets shot 8-for-8 from the charity stripe in the final minute of play to seal it.

The Nets opened the game on a 12-2 run, with Jefferson scoring six points during the spurt and Carter adding four. The Nets held a seven-point lead, 24-17, after the first quarter.

A 9-2 run midway through the second quarter gave the Nets a 14-point lead at 35-21. The Hornets later closed the halftime deficit to 46-38 as Kirk Snyder and Paul each dropped in a bucket to end the half.

Game Notes

The Nets had lost five of their last six coming into the game...Desmond Mason and Snyder each had 11 points for the Hornets...The Nets won despite turning the ball over 21 times, compared to just seven for the Hornets...The Nets shot well from the foul line, connecting on 26-of-28 freebies. The Hornets hit on 14-of-19 free throw attempts.