EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., April 2 (Ticker) -- For one night, the New Jersey Nets looked good enough to win their division without Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin.

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Lucious Harris tied a season high with 24 points and 11-of-13 shooting and Rodney Rogers added 20 on 7-of-10 from the floor as the Nets secured their third straight Atlantic Division title with a 108-83 rout of the New York Knicks.

New Jersey had struggled without Kidd and Martin, losing six of eight games since the All-Star duo went down with injuries. But the Nets (44-31) bounced back with one of their best efforts of the season and clinched the division after second-place Miami lost at Detroit.

"We're getting better," Nets forward Richard Jefferson said. "When you look at the very first game when we played against them and look at where we are now, we've grown and we've matured. We've become a better team and it showed tonight."

Jefferson scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting as New Jersey had six players in double figures and shot a season-high 60 percent (42-of-70).

"I thought our defense was terrible," Knicks coach Lenny Wilkens said. "I didn't think we got back and they had too many opportunities. Once you let a team that good get those kind of opportunities, they start to expand and they start making shots from everywhere. Our defense was the worst I have seen in a long time."

Jefferson sparked the rout with a thunderous dunk over Knicks forward Kurt Thomas midway through the first quarter and scored six straight points during a decisive run to end the third period.

The Nets led by as many as 18 points in the first quarter, but the Knicks pulled within 77-70 with 1:44 remaining in the third period. Jefferson answered with a three-point play and buried a 3-pointer before Brian Scalabrine and Kerry Kittles capped the quarter with consecutive jumpers.

"We got it where we wanted to and they just made shots," Knicks guard Penny Hardaway said. "They are a good team. Even with Jason out, they are going to run their offense. They were making tough shots and shooting a high percentage."

New Jersey got its running game back on track despite the absence of Kidd, who may be sidelined until the playoffs. The Nets scored 23 fast-break points and had 32 assists, including a career-high eight by Jason Collins.

"We were very very pleased with the effort of our guys," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. "I thought they did a tremendous job on both ends of the floor and I think we continued to improve. Everyone who played contributed in a very positive way."

Former Net Stephon Marbury and Hardaway scored 14 points apiece to lead the Knicks (35-41), who fell into a tie with Boston for seventh place in the East.

"They just kicked out butts, it's as simple as that," Hardaway said. "They were determined tonight. We came over here and we didnt have the intensity we needed. They beat us up pretty bad."