Box Score

 

CLEVELAND (98)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
L James             45  9-20  9-10   1-4   7   4   28
D Gooden            18   3-5   0-0   0-1   0   4    6
Z Ilgauskas         36  6-16  8-10 10-18   0   5   20
I Newble            18   1-3   0-0   3-3   0   3    2
J McInnis           41  9-22   2-2   4-7   5   2   23
D Diop              11   0-1   0-0   1-3   1   3    0
R Traylor           31   4-9   2-4  3-12   1   3   10
L Harris            27   3-7   0-0   0-1   1   3    7
E Snow              10   0-1   2-2   0-0   3   0    2
A Pavlovic           3   0-0   0-0   0-0   1   0    0
S Williams         DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
J Welsch           DNP  - RIGHT QUAD CONTUSION                           
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 35-84 23-28 22-49  19  27   98
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.417, FT-.821. 3-Point Goals:
5-12, .417 (L James 1-2, J McInnis 3-9, L 
Harris 1-1). Team Rebounds: 11. Blocked 
Shots:6 (R Traylor 2, D Diop 2, D Gooden 2). 
Turnovers:20 (Z Ilgauskas 5, L James 5, I 
Newble 4, R Traylor 2, D Gooden 2, L Harris, 
J McInnis). Steals: 5 (R Traylor 2, L James 
2, J McInnis).


NEW JERSEY (104)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
V Carter            35 10-18 11-11  6-11   1   5   34
J Collins           29   2-5   2-4   1-5   1   5    6
N Krstic            41  5-12   5-8   1-2   0   5   15
J Vaughn            26   4-8   1-1   0-1   5   1    9
J Kidd              42  4-13   4-4   0-8  12   1   14
R Mercer            19   4-8   2-2   1-1   1   2   10
C Robinson          18   2-7   2-2   0-1   2   2    6
T Best              22   1-7   3-3   0-2   4   0    6
J Smith              7   0-1   4-4   0-1   0   0    4
E Campbell           1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   1    0
B Thomas           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
Z Planinic         DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 32-79 34-39  9-32  26  22  104
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.405, FT-.872. 3-Point Goals:
6-15, .400 (V Carter 3-3, J Vaughn 0-1, J 
Kidd 2-7, C Robinson 0-1, T Best 1-3). Team 
Rebounds: 14. Blocked Shots:8 (C Robinson 3, 
J Kidd, T Best, V Carter, J Smith, J 
Collins). Turnovers:10 (J Kidd 3, V Carter 3,
N Krstic 2, C Robinson, J Collins). Steals: 
13 (J Kidd 3, C Robinson 2, J Vaughn 2, V 
Carter 2, J Collins 2, T Best, R Mercer).

-------------------------------------------
CLEVELAND             20  26  29  23  -   98
NEW JERSEY            30  28  25  21  -  104
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: Cleveland - 4 (D Gooden, 
6:38 2nd; R Traylor, 5:07 3rd; COACH Silas, 
7:46 3rd; J McInnis, 11:07 3rd).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 18,452. T: 2:23. 
Officials: Blane Reichelt, Ed Malloy, Sean 
Corbin.

Extended Box

 

CLEVELAND (98) AT NEW JERSEY (104)

CLEVELAND

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
L JAMES           F    45    9-20     9-10     1   3   4    7   4   2   5   28
D GOODEN          F    18    3-5      0-0      0   1   1    0   4   0   2    6
Z ILGAUSKAS       C    36    6-16     8-10    10   8  18    0   5   0   5   20
I NEWBLE          G    18    1-3      0-0      3   0   3    0   3   0   4    2
J MCINNIS         G    41    9-22     2-2      4   3   7    5   2   1   1   23
D DIOP                 11    0-1      0-0      1   2   3    1   3   0   0    0
R TRAYLOR              31    4-9      2-4      3   9  12    1   3   2   2   10
L HARRIS               27    3-7      0-0      0   1   1    1   3   0   1    7
E SNOW                 10    0-1      2-2      0   0   0    3   0   0   0    2
A PAVLOVIC              3    0-0      0-0      0   0   0    1   0   0   0    0
S WILLIAMS            DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
J WELSCH              DNP  - RIGHT QUAD CONTUSION                                     
  
TOTALS                240   35-84    23-28    22  27  49   19  27   5  20   98
                            (.417)  (.821)  TEAM REBS: 11 TOTAL TO: 20 (20 PTS)    

NEW JERSEY

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
V CARTER          F    35   10-18    11-11     6   5  11    1   5   2   3   34
J COLLINS         F    29    2-5      2-4      1   4   5    1   5   2   1    6
N KRSTIC          C    41    5-12     5-8      1   1   2    0   5   0   2   15
J VAUGHN          G    26    4-8      1-1      0   1   1    5   1   2   0    9
J KIDD            G    42    4-13     4-4      0   8   8   12   1   3   3   14
R MERCER               19    4-8      2-2      1   0   1    1   2   1   0   10
C ROBINSON             18    2-7      2-2      0   1   1    2   2   2   1    6
T BEST                 22    1-7      3-3      0   2   2    4   0   1   0    6
J SMITH                 7    0-1      4-4      0   1   1    0   0   0   0    4
E CAMPBELL              1    0-0      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   0    0
B THOMAS              DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
Z PLANINIC            DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                240   32-79    34-39     9  23  32   26  22  13  10  104
                            (.405)  (.872)  TEAM REBS: 14 TOTAL TO: 11 (14 PTS)    
  
   CLEVELAND          20   26   29   23   -   98
   NEW JERSEY         30   28   25   21   -   104
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: CLEVELAND - R TRAYLOR 2, D DIOP 2, D GOODEN 2.  NEW JERSEY -
C ROBINSON 3, J KIDD, T BEST, V CARTER, J SMITH, J COLLINS.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: CLEVELAND 5-12 (.417), L JAMES 1-2, J MCINNIS 3-
9, L HARRIS 1-1. NEW JERSEY 6-15 (.400), V CARTER 3-3, J VAUGHN 0-
1, J KIDD 2-7, C ROBINSON 0-1, T BEST 1-3.
TECHNICAL FOULS: CLEVELAND - D GOODEN, R TRAYLOR, COACH SILAS, J 
MCINNIS.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: BLANE REICHELT, ED MALLOY, SEAN CORBIN.
A - 18,452. T - 2:23.

Game Story

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- LeBron James hasn't 
figured out how to win in New Jersey.

Vince Carter scored 34 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead
the New Jersey Nets to a 104-98 victory over James and the
Cleveland Cavaliers.

It was the sixth straight road loss for the Cavaliers, who have
lost in each of their last seven trips to Continental Airlines
Arena since April 13, 2001.

The NBA's reigning Rookie of the Year, James has been a part of
three of those losses here.  In the previous one, Richard
Jefferson scored a career-high 42 points, including an alley-oop
dunk at the buzzer, to lead the Nets to a 92-90 win on December
22.

Jefferson is out for the rest of the season with a broken left
wrist, but this time the Cavaliers had to contend with Carter
instead of Jefferson and were unable to contain him.

Carter scored 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting by halftime as the 
Nets built a 58-46 advantage.

New Jersey increased the lead to 72-52 after a free throw by
rookie Nenad Krstic with 7:45 left in the third quarter.

The Cavaliers responded with 31 of the next 42 points, including
the first nine of the fourth quarter. Former Net Lucious Harris
buried a 3-pointer with 10:05 remaining and converted a jumper 
to forge an 83-83 tie with 8:33 to go.

But Carter, who spent much of the third quarter on the bench
with foul trouble, hit a short jumper and a 3-pointer from the
left corner to spark a 9-2 run, opening a 92-85 lead for the
Nets.

"Vince came back in the game and gave us a huge lift," Nets
coach Lawrence Frank said.  "Our guys kept themselves together.
That speaks a lot about mental toughness."

After Cleveland pulled within 95-93 on a follow shot by Zydrunas
Ilgauskas with 2:09 remaining, Carter hit a fadeaway from the
left side.

Jeff McInnis missed a wide-open 3-pointer for the Cavaliers and
Travis Best, who had missed his first six shots, connected on an
open 3-pointer from the right corner off a feed from Jason Kidd 
to increase New Jersey's lead to 100-93 with 73 seconds left.

"It felt good but it was coming off a little to the right so I
didn't know if it was going in," Best said.  "I missed some
shots, but if they're coming your way when you're open you have
to take them."

Kidd converted four free throws in the final 16 seconds to seal
the win.

"We've won (our last) two and we're right there," said Kidd, who
finished with 14 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds.  "With
the Atlantic (Division), it's whoever wants it bad enough. We
have as good a chance as anyone."

James scored 28 points on 9-of-20 shooting and collected seven
assists and four rebounds despite recovering from a severe cold.

"I'm off right now," James said. "I'm trying to get over this
still. I have never had a cold like this for so long."

McInnis finished with 23 points and Ilgauskas collected 20 and
18 rebounds for Cleveland, which lost despite a 49-32 rebounding
edge, including 22 offensive boards.

Krstic finished with 15 for the Nets, who made 34-of-39 free
throws, including 21-of-24 after the break.

The Cavaliers had cut a 21-point deficit to 12 by halftime, but
lost their composure early in the third. McInnis was called for
a technical foul in the opening minute and coach Paul Silas drew
another at 7:45 for arguing a foul called on Ilgauskas.

Carter sank the ensuing free throw and Krstic made one free 
throw resulting from Ilgauskas' foul to push New Jersey's lead 
to 72-52.

"When you come from 21 down you have to play perfect basketball
and they have to miss a lot of shots," James said. "They made a
lot of open jump shots, and a lot of contested jump shots, and
just got up big on us."