| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
 GAME FLOW
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- It was never like this for Byron Scott as a player -- except for that one year in Vancouver.
|  | | Chris Gatling loses control of the ball as he tries to drive through New Jersey's Johnny Newman. |
It could be a long season for the New Jersey Nets rookie coach
and the team's fans.
Lamond Murray hit a twisting shot in the lane to hold off a late New Jersey rally and the Cleveland Cavaliers spoiled the debuts of
Scott and No. 1 draft pick Kenyon Martin by beating the Nets 86-82
Tuesday night.
"We let them off the hook," said Scott, who won three
championships as a player with the Los Angeles Lakers. "I don't
know if we were afraid of winning or losing. We didn't do the
little things we practiced all week long. We just played bad."
Both teams were tough to watch in a game that featured bad
shooting, particularly by the Nets' top players.
Martin, who fouled out on Murray's layup with 38 seconds to go,
went 4-of-16 from the field and scored 10 points. Nets point guard Stephon Marbury made only three of 17 shots and scored nine points.
"I didn't play well. I didn't shoot well," Martin said. "I
need to calm down."
Winning ugly didn't seem to bother the Cavs, who were 1-5 in the
preseason and, like the Nets, an also-ran last season.
"Right now we have a win and that's all we need right now,"
Murray said. "It gives us confidence. The season is starting now
and it's a long season. We didn't shoot that well tonight but our
defense was there. As long as we do things to win games, that's all
that matters.'
Murray led the Cavaliers with 17 points, while Matt Harpring had
16, and Bimbo Coles added 15, including 10 in the fourth quarter
when the Cavaliers took the lead for good.
Backup center Aaron Williams scored 20 points for New Jersey, which will be without starting forward Keith Van Horn (broken leg) until December.
Coles scored five straight points, including a banked 3-pointer,
to key a 13-5 spurt that gave the Cavaliers an 82-72 lead with 1:56
to play.
"I'll take any way, anyhow," a smiling Coles said. "It went
in, that's the bottom line. I didn't call glass, but fortunately
for us it went in."
Williams put in a rebound and Steven Jackson, who had not played
much in the second half, hit two straight 3-pointers to close the
Nets' gap to 82-80 with 55 seconds left.
Murray scored on a drive but missed the free throw. Williams
then hit two at the other end to make it 84-82.
Murray was fouled with 12.7 seconds to go but missed both free
throws. Clarence Weatherspoon then came up with a key offensive
rebound and two free throws to seal the victory.
"Hopefully, this is a good lesson," Cleveland coach Randy Wittman said. "You have to close out games and we didn't do a good job of that."
Cleveland shot 41 percent (32-of-78) from the field and 63
percent from the free throw line (20-of-32). The Nets shot 37
percent (31-of-85) from the field and 65 percent from the free
throw line (17-of-26).
Jackson, the free agent who made the Nets' starting lineup,
finished with 15 points, and Johnny Newman added 13.
Game notes
The Cavs had one minor lineup surprise, starting
Weatherspoon at power forward instead of Robert Traylor. ... Gill,
who shot 62 percent in the preseason, was 1-of-10 from the field
and finished with three points. ... Chris Mihm, the Cavs'
first-round draft pick, made his debut late in the third quarter
and had a turnover, a block, two air balls and a goaltending call
in three minutes.
| |
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Cleveland Clubhouse
New Jersey Clubhouse
RECAPS
Charlotte 106
Atlanta 82
Cleveland 86
New Jersey 82
Orlando 97
Washington 86
Dallas 97
Milwaukee 93
Philadelphia 101
New York 72
Detroit 104
Toronto 95
Sacramento 100
Chicago 81
Minnesota 106
Houston 98
San Antonio 98
Indiana 85
Utah 107
LA Clippers 94
Golden State 96
Phoenix 94
LA Lakers 96
Portland 86
Vancouver 94
Seattle 88
|
