New Jersey Nets Team Report - February 1

(Basketball News) - Kenyon Martin notched a double-double with a game-high 27 points and 11 rebounds, leading the New Jersey Nets to an 88-77 victory over the Houston Rockets on Saturday at the Toyota Center.

Jason Kidd also recorded a double-double with 21 points and 11 assists, as the Nets won their fourth straight overall and improved to 3-0 on a four-game road trip since interim head coach Lawrence Frank took over for the fired Byron Scott.

Richard Jefferson was New Jersey’s other double-figure scorer with 17 points, as the Nets avenged an 11-point loss to Houston back in November.

The Nets also helped their cause by making 23 of their 26 free throws in the game, including a perfect 10-for-10 in the fourth quarter.

Kidd had six points in the first three minutes of the third quarter, as the Nets scored the first eight to get within one at 46-45. Yao Ming, who struggled by making only 2-of-9 shots in the game, converted one of those with a layup at the other end of the court, but Martin threw down consecutive dunks to give New Jersey its first lead of the game at 49-48 with 6:50 left in the quarter.

Steve Francis hit a running jumper to put the Rockets back up at 53-51, but the Nets responded with an 11-3 run, including five points from Martin, to take a 62-56 edge with 2:19 left. New Jersey took a 66-60 lead into the fourth quarter.

New Jersey went up 68-60 just 15 seconds into the fourth quarter, but Francis and Jackson combined to score the next 11 points for Houston, as the Rockets went up 71-68 with 7:40 left.

Kerry Kittles and Jefferson made a pair of free throws and Martin threw down an alley-oop slam on the Nets’ following three possessions to put them up 74-71. New Jersey would not trail the rest of the game.

Martin’s foul line jumper with a minute left put New Jersey up by 11 at 86-75. The Rockets threw up several desperate three-point attempts in the final 50 seconds, but all drew air.

The Nets are off until Monday when they visit the New Orleans Hornets.