 Keith Van Horn reminded the fans in Utah just how clutch he can be. Kent HornerNBAE/Getty Images from Nets-Jazz: 56k | 300k |
New Jersey's first win over Utah in nearly eight years did not come easy. The Nets erased a six-point deficit in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and needed two big shots from Van Horn, who had sat for most of the stretch run.
On Monday, Kidd made a 3-pointer that forced overtime in Denver. But New Jersey played poorly in overtime and Kidd missed two late shots that could have tied or won it.
This one followed the same pattern as Kidd scored New Jersey's last 10 points of regulation, including a 3-pointer that made it 82-82 with 2.3 seconds to go. He opened the extra session with a layup, then let his teammates do the rest.
"It was almost like deja vu from the other night in Denver," Kidd said. "It was the same. I went down the right side and the same thing happened. Then the guys kept the momentum going and into the overtime."
Two free throws by John Stockton gave Utah an 88-86 lead with 47 seconds to go, but Van Horn responded with a 20-footer that tied it nine seconds later.
Utah's Donyell Marshall made 1-of-2 from the line with 15 ticks left and New Jersey called timeout. The Nets swung a pair of cross-court passes to free Van Horn above the foul line and he dropped in the jumper.
"I was a little frustrated watching most of the fourth quarter and the overtime from the bench," said Van Horn, who played his college ball at Utah. "I just tried to keep my head in it because I really felt I was going to get back in there."
Rookie Richard Jefferson broke up the ensuing inbounds pass and the Nets improve to 1-1 on their five-game road trip.
"The big thing is we stopped the bleeding," Kidd said. "If you can limit your losing streak to just two games, you're going to be one of the elite teams in this league."
It was an emotional game that included a shoving match between Jazz forward Karl Malone and Nets coach Byron Scott in the second quarter.
"Malone don't scare me," Scott said. "He has no heart. He doesn't, you know he doesn't and he knows it. We played him a lot of times and I know what he's all about."
"He can talk about me having no heart, but I'm sure that if I came into the league and rode on someone else's coattail, I would have a couple of rings and stuff like that, too," Malone said.
Kidd scored 18 points and Van Horn and Kenyon Martin added 17 each for New Jersey, which beat Utah for the first time since January 16, 1994. Jefferson had 11 points and Todd MacCulloch added 10 and 11 rebounds.
Malone scored 34 points and Marshall added 27 for the Jazz, who fell to 2-4 at home. Last season, Utah did not lose its fourth game at the Delta Center until December 13.
"We keep finding ways to lose," Stockton said. "One day it's free throws, one day it's turnovers or poor defense. We're just managing to find enough ways to lose."
"They believe they are going to win and we're hoping we are," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "There's a huge difference."
Marshall's three-point play gave Utah a 78-72 lead with 1:42 left in the fourth quarter. But Kidd began the charge with a jumper, Jefferson smothered a breakaway layup by Stockton and Kidd drilled a 3-pointer to make it a one-point game with 1:06 remaining.
Utah's Greg Ostertag made a free throw but Kidd tied it with a 20-footer. Off an inbounds play, Stockton hit a 21-footer with 28 seconds left, giving the Jazz an 81-79 lead.
Kidd missed a 3-pointer and the Nets appeared dead when Stockton was fouled with 8.2 seconds to go. But he missed the second of the pair and Kidd dribbled quickly upcourt before drilling the tying shot.
"If I make the free throw at the end, we win the game, simple as that," Stockton said.
"We had a foul to give and they rebounded the basketball with seven or eight seconds to go and we let them come down the floor and make a three," Sloan said.
Stockton had 10 points and 11 assists for the Jazz, who shot 38 percent (34-of-90) from the field and committed 21 turnovers. The Nets shot 42 percent (37-of-89) and committed 28 turnovers.
New Jersey led by as many as 14 points in the first half before Utah rallied behind Marshall's 17 points and closed to 49-41 at halftime. The Jazz kept coming and trailed 66-65 entering the fourth quarter.