Kidd helps Nets to end 9-game losing streak

30-01-2008 10:55

This is why the New Jersey Nets won't just give Jason Kidd away. Kidd scored of seven of his nine points in the final 1:42 and added 11 assists as the Nets snapped a nine-game losing streak with an 87-80 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.

Ignoring the distractions Kidd created a day earlier with his comments encouraging a trade, the Nets held the Bucks to 37.5 percent shooting and avoided their first double-digit skid since dropping their final 11 games of the 1999-00 season.

Richard Jefferson scored 20 points and Vince Carter had 16 points and matched a season high with 12 rebounds for the Nets. Bostjan Nachbar had 14 points.

Royal Ivey scored 19 points for the Bucks, who were without leading scorer Michael Redd for the second straight game because of a left knee strain that will also keep him out of Wednesday's game at Philadelphia.

Leon Powe scored a career-high 25 points with 11 rebounds, Rajon Rondo tied a career-high with 23 points, and Tony Allen scored 20 points with six assists to lead the NBA-best Celtics to an overwhelming victory over the Heat -- who followed the win that snapped their 15-game losing streak with an absolute clunker.

The Celtics played without Kevin Garnett (strained abdominal muscle) and Ray Allen (flu), and the third member of their star triumvirate, Paul Pierce, was scoreless for most of the first half.

Mark Blount scored 20 points for Miami.