EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ, Feb. 19 (Ticker) -- The New Jersey Nets were fortunate they started so well.

Jason Kidd collected 26 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists en route to his sixth triple-double of the season as the Nets built a huge lead before holding on for a 123-115 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

"Triple-doubles are something that's part of the game," Kidd said. "I just try to help the big guys with rebounding and my teammates knock down their shots. The ball was going in for me tonight and I was looking to be aggressive."

Sparked by the electrifying point guard, the Nets put on a scintillating first-half performance, when they shot 60 percent (27-of-45) and opened a 75-51 advantage.

NBA TV highlights from Warriors-Nets: 56k | 300k When Kerry Kittles scored 11 of his 18 points in a 42-point Nets' First Quarter, this one looked over. Noren Trotman NBAE/Getty Images

But the Warriors were able to rally in the second half, getting as close as three points in the final two minutes. Golden State had a chance to get even closer but rookie Jason Richardson had his driving layup blocked by Kenyon Martin with just over a minute left.

"What can I say? Great first half, so-so second half," Nets coach Byron Scott said. "I just thought our guys got a little disinterested in the second half. You have a team that has a bunch of great athletes that made a great run."

Lucious Harris added 19 points and Kerry Kittles 18 for the Nets, who had seven players score in double figures.

Richardson and Antawn Jamison each had 25 points for Golden State, which lost for the eighth time in its last nine games.

Looking for their third straight win, the Nets seemed to be in control, taking a 109-97 lead with 6:24 remaining following a long 3-pointer by Kidd.

But Jamison and Richardson combined for the Warriors' next 16 points, cutting Golden State's deficit to 116-113 with 1:17 to play.

After Keith Van Horn missed a 3-pointer from the left side, the Warriors had a chance to make things even tighter. But Richardson, who made 11-of-21 shots from the field, drove to the basket and was rejected by Martin.

"I don't know if it was a goaltend on Jason Richardson, it was a pretty close play that could have one either way," Warriors coach Brian Winters said. "They called it the way they saw it, but you have to come out and play the game with a sense of urgency."

Kittles and Kidd combined to go 3-of-4 from the line, making it a six-point game with 38 seconds to play.

"I think we expected us to repeat the first half," Kidd said. "That's the game of basketball. Teams are going to make runs, and they made a run. I'm just thankful we had a big enough lead. We didn't really lose our composure, but we were a little bit confident. There's nothing wrong with that, but we need to be able to shut the door with some confidence."

"Great in the first half, equally as bad in he second half," Martin said.

Rookie Jason Collins, starting at center in place of Todd MacCulloch, who missed the game to rest a sore left foot, added 15 points and Aaron Williams 13 for New Jersey, which shot 48 percent (42-of-88).

The Nets cooled off considerably in the second half. New Jersey made 15-of-22 shots in the first quarter as it opened a 42-24 advantage.

A 18-footer by Van Horn with 5:07 left in the second quarter gave the Nets their biggest lead at 64-39. Van Horn finished 5-of-11 from the field and scored 12 points.

The Warriors started the second half strong, scoring the first 12 points of the period to pull within 75-63 with 9:48 left in the period on a layup by Erick Dampier. Danny Fortson had six points in the surge.

Fortson had 16 points and nine rebounds, but was ejected with 6:51 left in the third quarter after picking up his second technical foul.

Richardson had eight points in the quarter as the Warriors closed within 97-85 entering the final 12 minutes.

Larry Hughes added 20 points and rookie Gilbert Arenas 10 for Golden State, which shot 44 percent (45-of-102) and held a 52-48 rebounding edge.

"They scored 75 points in the first half and were on pace to score a hundred and fifty points," Hughes said. "We had to tighten things up, come out and be real aggressive. It sent the message that we were ready to play and try to pull (the game) out."