Nets primed for playoff run

New Jersey is seeded third in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but the Washington Wizards are slowly creeping from behind.

However, stars such as Vince Carter, Jason Kiss and Jason Richardson will provide the leadership needed to keep this team focused on one goal — winning a championship.

Carter leads the team in scoring with 23.7 points per game, while Jefferson is averaging 19.3 points per contest. Kidd boasts averages of 14.7 points, 8.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds per game.

The Nets must to keep their momentum going and put the brakes on a seven-game losing streak on the road versus the Western Conference. They will have a chance to break that curse Wednesday night at Minnesota, a team the Nets have not beaten since October 2003.

The best team in the Atlantic Division, New Jersey is holding a three-game edge over Philadelphia for the top spot. In order for the Nets to keep the 76ers at bay, they have to improve on a 13-17 road mark, which is the worst among all six division leaders.

New Jersey will also try to avoid its worst losing streak of the season since dropping four straight on a West Coast trip from January 23-28.

After Wednesday’s tilt with Minnesota, the Nets will host Toronto and Sacramento before opening a three-game road trip.