Carter Is the Story, but Nets Falter

Bruce Bowen and the San Antonio Spurs couldn’t get Vince Carter off his game, so they did the next best thing -- they got him kicked out.

Tony Parker scored 17 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, and the Spurs took over after Bowen got Carter so angry that he picked up a second technical foul with 9 minutes 45 seconds to go in San Antonio’s 101-91 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Friday night at East Rutherford, N.J.

“That’s probably the only way they would have stopped Vince tonight,” Net guard Jason Kidd said of Carter’s 43-point performance in 37 minutes. “He was really rolling.”

The end for Carter came after he missed a jumper from the left wing. As he came down, Bowen got under him and they tangled legs, with Carter falling to the court.

Carter, whose season was nearly ended last year when Bowen undercut him and caused an ankle injury, was visibly annoyed. He screamed at the Spur forward and walked menacingly toward him before referee Courtney Kirkland intervened.

“He was trying to pull, grab and hold me the whole game,” said Carter, who picked up his second technical after the incident. “It didn’t bother me, so I don’t know what their plan or idea was. I know my goal was to go out there and be aggressive and play to win.”

Bowen said all that happened was the two got tangled.

“I don’t know what to say. I felt like he tried to trip me,” said Bowen, one of the NBA’s top defenders. “That’s how I feel. I haven’t seen the replay, but that’s what I felt.”

The Spurs took the lead for good at 88-82 on consecutive three-point baskets by Brent Barry and Manu Ginobili with 4:12 to go.

In addition to his eventful on-court experiences, Carter was the focus of discussion when his mother revealed that her son had a physical confrontation with Raptor Coach Sam Mitchell this season when he played in Toronto.

Carter did not deny the story.

“So? What’s the big deal,” Carter said. He later added, “You make an altercation [sound] like a fight,” when a questioner used that term. The reporter who asked the question explained that an altercation could be a fight, to which Carter replied: “Exactly.” He had no further comment.

Mitchell, speaking to reporters in Toronto after the 76er-Raptor game, said he and Carter merely wrestled. But Carter’s mother, Michelle, said her son slammed Mitchell onto a massage table in the Raptors’ locker room after the coach challenged Carter.

Michelle Carter said she found out about the altercation from the coach, not from her son.

“So I asked Vince what happened. He told me he couldn’t take Sam’s challenges anymore, so he picked him up and threw him on the massage table. That definitely happened. No question about it. And if anyone says it didn’t happen, they’re lying,” she told Sportsnet of Canada.

Dallas 115, Sacramento 113 -- Jason Terry’s driving three-point play with 12.6 seconds to go gave the Mavericks the lead at Sacramento, and the Kings were once again left pleading for a goaltending call.

With a one-point lead, Sacramento’s Cuttino Mobley drove to the basket with 27.7 seconds to go, but Erick Dampier came over and blocked Mobley’s shot after it hit the backboard.

The Kings pleaded for a goaltending call that never came. It was similar to Tuesday’s loss to Phoenix when Amare Stoudemire blocked Brad Miller’s shot with less than a second to go to preserve a two-point win.

Seattle 113, Phoenix 105 -- Ray Allen climbed out of an awful shooting night with 14 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter at Phoenix, and the SuperSonics had seven players in double figures to beat the Suns in a showdown of division leaders.

Rashard Lewis scored 23 points, making four of seven three-point shots, and Antonio Daniels had 20 in Seattle’s fifth win in a row.

Amare Stoudemire scored 32 points, and Steve Nash had 25 points and 14 assists for the Suns.

Utah 100, Minnesota 82 -- Carlos Boozer answered criticism from Utah owner Larry Miller with 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Andrei Kirilenko had 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Jazz at Salt Lake City.

Boozer, whose toughness was questioned publicly by Miller earlier in the week, had his 22nd double-double of the season but first in more than two weeks.

Denver 106, Cleveland 101 -- Earl Boykins scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half for the Nuggets at Cleveland to overshadow another Carmelo Anthony-LeBron James matchup.

Boykins, the Nuggets’ pesky 5-foot-5 guard, helped the Nuggets overcame a 35-point performance from James. Last season, Boykins, who twice played with Cleveland, scored 18 points as the Nuggets spoiled James’ home debut as a pro.

Boston 111, New York 94 -- Ricky Davis scored 25 points, Paul Pierce had 17, and Raef LaFrentz had 15 points and 14 rebounds at Boston to help Atlantic Division-leading Boston (26-25) move above .500 for the first time since Nov. 12. New York lost for the 14th time in 16 games.

Miami 97, Charlotte 87 -- Shaquille O’Neal had 32 points and 12 rebounds at Charlotte, N.C., to lead the Heat to its fifth victory in a row and ninth in 10 games. Damon Jones had 22 points for Miami despite playing on a sprained ankle.

Philadelphia 106, Toronto 91 -- Allen Iverson had 30 points and eight assists at Toronto to help the 76ers end a two-game losing streak and hand the Raptors their fourth consecutive loss.

Memphis 88, Portland 82 -- Stromile Swift scored 23 points, and the Trail Blazers scored only 13 points in the fourth quarter at Memphis, Tenn., as the Grizzlies won their third in a row.

New Orleans 111, Golden State 108 -- Rodney Rogers scored 20 points, and Bostjan Nachbar made all five of his three-point shots at New Orleans to give the Hornets their 10th victory in 50 games this season.

Houston 91, Indiana 83 -- Bob Sura scored 17 points at Indianapolis and the Rockets won their sixth game in a row, holding the Pacers to one point in the last seven minutes.