Jason Kidd scored a season-high 25 points to pick up the slack for an ailing Vince Carter on Wednesday, leading the New Jersey Nets to a 100-87 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Kidd added 11 assists and eight rebounds and scored 11 straight points for the Nets in a 21-3 first-quarter spurt that gave the Nets the lead for good.
Carter, who battled flu-like symptoms all day and was a game-time decision to start, finished with 15 points, none in the fourth quarter. Nenad Krstic added 22 points.
PHOTO: AP
Mo Williams had a season-high 26 points for Milwaukee, which was playing on consecutive nights. Michael Redd added 25 points for the Bucks, who were without leading rebounder Charlie Villanueva. He hurt an elbow on Tuesday night and was sent for further evaluation.
Bobcats 95, Spurs 92, OT
At San Antonio, Adam Morrison scored 27 points, surpassing his career high established just one night earlier, as Charlotte beat San Antonio.
Emeka Okafor added 19 points for Charlotte (2-6), which had lost four straight. It was the first victory over the Spurs in Bobcats franchise history after four previous tries.
Knicks 102, Wizards 82
At New York, rookie Renaldo Balkman scored a season-high 18 points, and New York used its best defensive performance of the season to beat Washington.
Quentin Richardson made five 3-pointers and added 17 points and Stephon Marbury scored 16 for the Knicks, who won for the first time this season at Madison Square Garden and snapped a three-game losing streak.
Cavaliers 100, Trail Blazers 87
At Cleveland, LeBron James had 32 points, seven assists and seven rebounds to help Cleveland win its fourth straight game with a victory over Portland.
The Cavaliers have started the season 6-2 for the second straight year and own the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Magic 108, Nuggets 99
At Orlando, Florida, Keyon Dooling scored 25 points, keying a big third-quarter run to lift Orlando over Denver.
Carmelo Anthony scored 34 points, his fifth straight game with at least 30. But committed two costly mistakes in the final 2:15, first traveling, then bobbling a pass that forced a jump ball tipped to Dooling for a lay-up and a 104-97 lead with 1:03 left.
Hedu Turkoglu had 18 points and six rebounds for the Magic before fouling out, while Grant Hill added 15 points and Carlos Arroyo had 14 points, five assists and five rebounds.
Celtics 114, Pacers 88
At Boston, Paul Pierce scored 32 points and Wally Szczerbiak added 20 to lead the Boston over Indiana.
Ryan Gomes had 12 points and 12 rebounds for Boston, which won for just the second time in eight games. Kendrick Perkins added 12 points and eight rebounds.
Hornets 100, Pistons 99
At Auburn Hills, Michigan, rookie Hilton Armstrong made a free throw with 3 seconds left, then got a key offensive rebound to help New Orleans beat Detroit.
With the score tied at 99, Armstrong made the first of two free throws to put the Hornets ahead. He missed the second, but got his own rebound and batted it to midcourt as time expired.
Kings 115, Grizzlies 111
At Sacramento, California, Mike Bibby had 32 points and 10 assists to lead Sacramento over Memphis for its fourth straight victory.
Kevin Martin added 24 points, including a few big baskets down the stretch, for Sacramento.
76ers 96, SuperSonics 90
At Seattle, Allen Iverson scored 12 of his 28 points in the third quarter, and the Philadelphia snapped a three-game skid with a victory over Seattle.
Iverson made just 6 of 22 shots, but was nearly perfect at the free-throw line, hitting 14 of 16 attempts. Philadelphia opened the season 3-0, but dropped its last three and hadn't played since falling to at home to Denver 108-101 last Friday.
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