ESPN Network: ESPN.com | NFL.com | NBA.com | NHL.com | WNBA.com | ABCSports | EXPN | FANTASY | INSIDER

  Scores/Schedules
  Standings
  Statistics
  Transactions
  Injuries
  Players
  Message Board
  NBA StatSearch
  NBA en espaņol
Clubhouses






Friday, Mar. 23 7:30pm ET
Shorthanded Nets, Marbury torment Knicks

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

NEW YORK (AP) – Stephon Marbury tormented the Knicks instead of taunting them, and won at Madison Square Garden for the first time since he was in high school.

Stephon Marbury
Stephon Marbury's 22 points, seven assists and six rebounds led the Nets to an unlikely victory.

Marbury bounced back after a poor first quarter to score 22 points and lead the depleted and foul-plagued New Jersey Nets to an unlikely 95-86 victory over the similarly short-handed New York Knicks on Friday night.

The Nets had only nine players in uniform, two of whom -- Aaron Williams and Evan Eschmeyer -- fouled out early in the fourth quarter and one -- Doug Overton -- who had been with the team less than 48 hours.

Playing just one night after they lost Kenyon Martin (fractured leg) for the rest of the season, the Nets somehow summoned the strength to hand the Knicks an embarrassing defeat that ended their five-game overall winning streak and an eight-game home winning streak.

"To win here is always big," Marbury said. "This is the mecca of basketball, and for the team to come in here and play as well as we played is great."

Marbury had lost every game he played at the Garden -- whether with Georgia Tech, Minnesota or New Jersey -- since 1995, when he was a high school senior and won the city public schools championship.

Johnny Newman led New Jersey with 26 points, Keith Van Horn had 19 and Stephen Jackson 10.

Latrell Sprewell scored 29 for the Knicks, who got little from their starting backcourt as Allan Houston (4-for-22) and Mark Jackson (3-for-11) combined to shoot 21 percent. The Knicks, who were without Marcus Camby (upper respiratory infection), Larry Johnson (sore back) and Glen Rice (sore foot), allowed the Nets to score 36 points in the second quarter, failed to catch up in the third and trailed by double digits for much of the fourth.

"We have proven time and again that we don't have the maturity to handle winning," Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "We underestimate how hard it is to win in this league."

Marbury, who unleashed a profanity-laced tirade at Knicks guard Charlie Ward after the Nets beat the Knicks on March 9, gave Ward a hug after the final buzzer of this one.

"I just said 'Good game.' That was it," Marbury said.

Marbury finished 9-for-22 from the field with seven assists and six rebounds. Newman was 7-for-15 from the field and 11-for-14 from the line.

The Knicks had an opportunity to bury New Jersey early as the Nets made their first shot of the game and then missed their next 13. But New York was never able to take a lead of larger than eight points, and the Nets easily made up the difference in the second quarter.

Marbury, who missed his first seven shots, made his next seven during the second quarter as the Nets turned the game around with a 21-3 run to turn a 32-24 deficit into a 45-35 lead. Marbury capped the run with a fallaway jumper, a 3-pointer and a fast-break layup, and the Nets held a 53-43 lead at halftime.

Newman scored seven points in the third quarter as the Nets managed to maintain a healthy lead, but the Knicks scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to pull within six, 76-70.

Williams fouled out with 8½ minutes left and Eschmeyer drew his sixth with 7:08 remaining, but the Nets took an 84-74 lead when Vladimir Stepania hit two foul shots following Kurt Thomas' sixth foul with 6:19 left.

The Knicks didn't score again until Houston hit a jumper with 4:01 left to make it 86-76, and the Nets scored the next four points -- including a drive by Marbury right around Ward -- to lock up the victory.

"I hope the guys are as disappointed as a team as I am," Sprewell said. "It's frustrating."

Game notes
Marbury had the phrase "K-Mart 6" written on his sneakers in honor of Martin. ... Johnson missed his eighth straight game and Rice missed his third. Othella Harrington made his first start for the Knicks, replacing Camby, and fouled out after scoring 13 points. Stephen Jackson started for the Nets, who moved Newman to small forward and Van Horn to power forward to replace Martin. ... The Nets snapped a six-game road losing streak. ... The Knicks play their next five games on the road against teams from the West.

Send this story to a friend
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard

New Jersey Clubhouse

New York Clubhouse


Martin not saying 'here we go again' about broken leg


RECAPS
Indiana 95
Vancouver 75

Toronto 112
Atlanta 86

New Jersey 95
New York 86

Minnesota 101
Denver 90

Chicago 93
Charlotte 90

Milwaukee 115
Orlando 103

Phoenix 84
Philadelphia 71

LA Lakers 104
Washington 91


ESPN.com:  HELP |  ADVERTISER INFO |  CONTACT US |  TOOLS |  SITE MAP
Copyright ©2000 ESPN Internet Group. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information are applicable to this site. Employment opportunities at ESPN.com.