 Todd MacCulloch enjoyed a career night against Vin Baker and the Sonics. Noren Trotman/NBAE/Getty Images 56k | 300k |
Todd MacCulloch scored a career-high 29 points (9 in 1st & 3rd quarters) and added 10 rebounds for New Jersey (4-1), which is off to its best start since it went 4-0 to begin the 1997-98 campaign, the last season in which the Nets reached the playoffs.
The 33-year-old Payton is five years older than Kidd and used to beat and taunt Kidd in pick-up games when the two were youngsters in Oakland. Kidd credits Payton for teaching him toughness and determination.
The two dueled in the Western Conference for seven years before Kidd was traded to New Jersey in the offseason. In their latest battle Thursday, Payton scored 19 points but could not lift Seattle to a win in the finale of its five-game road trip.
"(Payton is) one of the toughest to guard in this league because he can do some much with it," Kidd said. "I'm just happy we got a W and he didn't destroy us tonight. The guy is a winner."
Seattle scored the last four points of the third quarter to tie the game, then scored the first six points of the final period to open an 81-75 advantage.
New Jersey immediately countered with a 17-4 run, taking a 92-85 lead on Kidd's basket with 4:11 to play. MacCulloch scored five points down the stretch as the Nets held on.
"I had a small hand in the other (wins) and I was just glad that someone else could step up," MacCulloch said. "Tonight I just happened to be that guy. Hopefully we can keep getting Ws."
"It was just his night," Nets coach Byron Scott said. "You could tell it was coming sooner or later. Tonight, I think he was a litte bit more relaxed."
Keith Van Horn scored 20 points for the Nets, who have had five players in double figures in each of their victories.
Vin Baker had 20 points and 12 rebounds and Rashard Lewis added 17 and 10 for Seattle (2-4), which had won five of its previous seven games against New Jersey.
Paced by MacCulloch and Van Horn, the Nets outscored the Sonics 58-34 in the paint. Seattle settled for shooting from outside, connecting on 10-of-25 3-pointers.
"You won't win a lot of games settling for perimeter shots, and I thought we did that the entire night," Sonics coach Nate McMillan said. "We have to establish a post-up game, get post position and get to the free-throw line."
Seattle only attempted 10 free throws, making eight. New Jersey was 21-of-26 from the line.
The Nets trailed 26-25 after one quarter, although MacCulloch scored nine points and Kidd contributed six rebounds and five assists.
Neither team led by more than five points in the second quarter. The Nets entered the locker room with a 52-48 edge after Kenyon Martin dunked an alley-oop feed from Kidd with less than a second remaining.