Box Score

 

CHICAGO (72)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
E Robinson          12   1-3   0-0   1-3   0   2    2
D Marshall          28   1-9   2-4  4-11   0   3    4
E Curry             17   3-6   0-0   3-6   0   3    6
J Rose              36  6-18   1-2   1-4   4   3   13
J Williams          26  6-15   1-2   0-3   3   4   13
T Chandler          24   3-9   6-9   2-7   0   5   12
T Hassell           28   3-6   0-0   1-6   0   1    6
L Baxter            22   2-3   2-2   4-8   1   3    6
C Blount             5   1-2   0-0   0-0   0   2    2
J Crawford          23   2-9   0-1   0-1   4   0    4
F Hoiberg           12   0-3   4-4   0-5   1   1    4
R Brunson            7   0-1   0-0   2-2   1   1    0
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 28-84 16-24 18-56  14  28   72
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.333, FT-.667. 3-Point Goals:
0-11, .000 (D Marshall 0-1, J Rose 0-4, J 
Williams 0-4, J Crawford 0-2). Team Rebounds:
10. Blocked Shots:10 (T Chandler 6, T Hassell
2, E Curry, L Baxter). Turnovers:22 (J Rose 
4, E Curry 4, T Chandler 4, J Williams 3, D 
Marshall 2, L Baxter 2, F Hoiberg, E 
Robinson, J Crawford). Steals: 10 (D Marshall
3, J Crawford 2, J Williams 2, E Robinson, T 
Hassell, L Baxter).


NEW JERSEY (90)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
R Jefferson         29  5-14 10-13   2-4   1   1   20
B Scalabrine        33   3-8   1-1   1-6   3   4    8
J Collins           27   1-3   1-2   1-8   0   2    3
K Kittles           30 10-18   0-0   0-3   3   0   21
J Kidd              31  2-11   2-2   2-6  12   0    6
R Rogers            25  3-12   1-2  3-11   2   4    8
C Childs             6   0-1   0-0   0-0   1   1    0
L Harris            24   4-9   4-4   0-1   1   2   13
A Williams          21   3-9   3-4   4-9   0   3    9
A Johnson           11   1-2   0-0   0-1   2   1    2
T Slay               3   0-1   0-0   0-0   0   1    0
K Martin           DNP  - SORE LEFT KNEE                                 
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 32-88 22-28 13-49  25  19   90
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.364, FT-.786. 3-Point Goals:
4-21, .190 (B Scalabrine 1-3, K Kittles 1-6, 
J Kidd 0-3, R Rogers 1-5, C Childs 0-1, L 
Harris 1-2, T Slay 0-1). Team Rebounds: 11. 
Blocked Shots:6 (J Kidd, R Rogers, K Kittles,
A Williams, J Collins, B Scalabrine). 
Turnovers:12 (B Scalabrine 3, J Kidd 2, L 
Harris, R Rogers, K Kittles, A Williams, A 
Johnson, R Jefferson, J Collins). Steals: 9 
(J Collins 3, J Kidd 2, L Harris, B 
Scalabrine, A Williams, R Jefferson).

-------------------------------------------
CHICAGO              14  23  17  18   -  72
NEW JERSEY           25  22  28  15   -  90
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: None.
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 14,221. T: 2:03.

Game Story

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Kerry Kittles, Richard 
Jefferson and the New Jersey Nets took out their frustrations on
the Chicago Bulls.

Kittles scored 21 points and Jefferson 20 as the Nets easily
handed the Bulls their eighth straight defeat, 90-72.

The Nets looked lethargic in losing their first two games after
the All-Star break, including Wednesday's 97-90 defeat at lowly
Memphis in which they scored a franchise-low eight points in the
first quarter.

But they wasted little time in getting untracked in this one,
jumping out to a 20-8 lead behind eight points from Jefferson
and taking a 25-14 lead into the second quarter.

"We were hurt early in transition," Bulls coach Bill Cartwright
said.  "Kerry Kittles scored 15 in the first half.  Once we got
behind, it was tough to try and scramble to get back into the
game."

"There are so many games and you tend not to play up to your
capabilites every night," Kittles said.  "We did not panic.  We
just want to correct some things and try to rectify the team's
spirit.  We just want people playing up to their capabilities
and have the right rhythm as a unit."

New Jersey held a 10-point halftime lead before using a 19-8
burst over the opening six minutes of the second half to take a
66-45 advantage.  The Nets, who rested their starters for most
of the fourth quarter, led by at least 16 points thereafter.

"That's a better effort for us tonight," said Nets point guard
Jason Kidd, who scored only six points on 2-of-11 shooting but
contributed 12 assists and six rebounds.  "We got off to a good
start in the first quarter and stayed in control for the rest of
the game.  RJ and Kittles played very well tonight.  Hopefully,
we can carry this game to the next one and play well on Sunday
(vs. Philadelphia)."

New Jersey improved its league-best home mark to 23-2, while the
Bulls fell to an NBA-worst 2-27 on the road.

Nets forward Kenyon Martin sat out with a sore left knee.  He
had been the only Net to play every game this season.

Chicago's Jalen Rose and rookie Jay Williams, a New Jersey
native who had his high school jersey retired on Thursday,
scored 13 points apiece but shot 6-of-18 and 6-of-15,
respectively.  The Bulls limited the Nets to 36 percent shooting
(32-of-88) but connected at just 33 percent themselves
(28-of-84).

"This was a little bit better, especially on the defensive end,"
Nets coach Byron Scott said.  "I thought we got after it pretty
good.  That's what we're supposed to do each and every night.
We still have a lot of work to do on the defensive end, and
that's what we're focusing on for the next four or five weeks."

"Tonight, we looked upon ourselves as a better team than the way
we have been playing," Kittles added.  "We just needed to play
better and be more consistent throughout the game.  We wanted to
get out there and pressure guys defensively a little more.  And
that's what we did."

The Nets converted 23 turnovers by the Bulls into 19 points,
while Chicago scored just six points off 12 giveaways by New
Jersey.

"To me, the Nets had a pretty good game," Rose said.  "They ran
their sets and kept the paint open, which allowed backdoor cuts,
and that is what they'd like to do. We have to keep working
hard and stay positive to stop this losing streak."