Carter, Nets Run Past the Clippers

Sam Cassell, who had previously worn a New Jersey uniform in one of his several NBA stops, had some advice for the Clippers on how to be successful here Tuesday.

“It won’t be that crowded; the crowd won’t be a distraction. We’ve just go to come in and do what we’ve got to do,” Cassell said.

Apparently something got lost in the translation. The Clippers didn’t do enough and let the Nets, especially Vince Carter, do pretty much what they wanted. That basically sums up New Jersey’s 99-85 win over the Clippers in Continental Airlines Arena.

Carter was the biggest reason the Nets (12-12) are on their first three-game winning streak. He scored 35 points, the fourth time this season he has had 30 or more, pulled down seven rebounds and had a season-high nine assists.

When he wasn’t frustrating the Clippers with rainbow jumpers to beat the shot clock, or banking in soaring one-handers within six feet of the basket, Carter was grooving a path to the free-throw line (12 for 14).

“It wasn’t my intent to come out and [score big],” said Carter, who made 11 of 22 shots. “My motive now is to come out and jump-start our team from the beginning, make something happen.”

The Clippers had to pay so much attention to Carter -- “He’s such a great player he always deserves two guys guarding him,” Cassell said -- that other Nets were able to take advantage. Richard Jefferson had 20 points. Center Nenad Krstic made seven of 10 shots and scored 17 points.

“We got outworked tonight,” Clipper Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “The Nets have been playing well, shooting the ball well, and they continued to do that. Carter’s been on a roll; he was a tough matchup for us all night long.”

But the Clippers (15-9) could have survived Carter’s outburst.

Elton Brand had 21 points and 13 rebounds for his 15th double-double in the last 18 games. Cuttino Mobley had 15 points and Cassell scored 10. Walter McCarty and Shaun Livingston brought 13 and 11 points, respectively, off the bench.

It’s what the Clipper’s couldn’t do that doomed them to their third loss in their last four games.

They couldn’t keep New Jersey off the boards, getting outrebounded, 45-37. They couldn’t help themselves at the free-throw line, making only 17 of 25. They couldn’t slow the Nets’ transition game, which resulted in 29 fastbreak points

“When you let them get out and get 29 fastbreak points, you have no shot,” Dunleavy said.

And once they fell behind early in the first quarter, the Clippers could never find a surge that would get them back in the game. The Nets had a 26-23 lead after the first quarter, built it up to 57-44 by halftime, led by as many as 18 points in the third (74-56), and never let the Clippers get closer than eight points in the fourth.

The Clippers did have some idea of what was wrong Tuesday.

“There was a lack of energy out there,” Mobley said. “We didn’t play hard today. We were a step slow on everything, missed assignments, kept Vince going to the free-throw line. We basically let one dude beat us.”

Added Cassell, “We didn’t come out with that aggressiveness that we need. We’re not a team that can just turn it on. When we cut it on, it has to stay on with us. And we didn’t have it tonight. We have to win the hustle game, and we didn’t win the hustle game.”