This Time, Nets Don’t Kidd Around, 103-92

The Boston Celtics had almost done it again, rallying from a 20-point deficit. Their defensive pressure had put fear into the hearts, eyes and minds of the New Jersey Nets.

The Celtics were causing an unraveling of the Eastern Conference’s best team for the second game in this series.

Erick Strickland, a backup Boston guard who hadn’t scored in the first four games, made two free throws, his 10th and 11th points, with 10:50 left to cut the Nets’ lead to 74-73. Twice in a row, the Nets didn’t score. There was a turnover and a missed layup by Kerry Kittles. Twice in a row the Celtics had that chance to take the lead, which would have been their first since 2-0. Twice in a row the Celtics could have caused the ultimate panic, could have knocked the guts out of the Nets.

But they didn’t. They missed a shot, then threw away a pass. Jason Kidd scored on a 22-foot jump shot and the fear went into a closet. Keith Van Horn threw in an off-balance layup and made a free throw. The closet door was shut.

The Nets ended up defeating the Celtics, 103-92, Wednesday night at Continental Airlines Arena to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 6 is Friday at Boston’s FleetCenter.

What Kidd started with his jump shot was a ferocious 20-1 run. When it was done, punctuated by consecutive Van Horn three-point baskets that sent forward Kenyon Martin into a towel-waving frenzy, the Nets led, 94-74.

There would be no other Celtic comeback.

At the end, Boston standouts Antoine Walker (13 points) and Paul Pierce (24) were on the bench, faces set in fierce scowls. Pierce and Walker were scoreless in the fourth quarter.

“You get frustrated,” Pierce said. “You battle back so hard and then come up short. We’ve got to understand that it’s the little things that win ballgames, just keeping them out of transition, keeping them from getting easy opportunities. Once we got ourselves back in the game, I thought we’d come out with a little more energy in the fourth quarter.”

There has been a pattern to this series. The Celtics stumble onto the court and get behind. By 15, 20, 26 points. In the last three games, Boston has trailed 28-13, 31-18 and 31-16 at the end of the first quarter.

“With the units on the floor to start the game, they’re flat-out outplaying us.” Boston Coach Jim O’Brien said. “We’re letting them execute their offense. We don’t seem to have an answer early on to stop it.”

And the Nets’ confounding trend is to let the Celtics back into the game. In Game 3 they blew a 26-point third-quarter lead. In Game 4, they lost a 15-point third-quarter lead before winning when Pierce missed two free throws at the end.

On Wednesday, Boston outscored the Nets, 31-17, in the third quarter. Strickland had nine points. The Nets were six of 19 from the field. What had been a 55-38 halftime lead was down to 72-69.

When Strickland made his two free throws in the fourth, there was a deep rumble in the crowd. Then came the determined move by Kidd, who finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Kidd cocked, aimed and made his 22-foot shot with the confidence of a superstar.

“That’s what Jason does,” said Martin, who had 19 points.

Five players scored in the 20-1 run. Kidd had six points; Van Horn (19 for the game) had nine. Backup center Jason Collins even had one. Kittles, who didn’t score in the run, did his part by getting the Nets off to the big start, scoring 12 of his 21 points in the first quarter.

“It’s very important for myself and Kerry to get going early,” Van Horn said. “It really helps this team, helps all of us to a better performance.”

A discouraged O’Brien answered “I don’t know,” when asked about changing the starting lineup for Friday’s game.

“We’re a better team with our backs up against the wall,” Pierce said.

And the Celtics’ backs are pressed hard against that wall.

Since entering the NBA from the American Basketball Assn. in 1976, the Nets have never gone to the league finals. Now they are only a victory away.