Nets top Hornets for 3-1 series lead

Posted 6:11PM on Sunday 12th May 2002 ( 23 years ago )

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The team in teal may have played its final game in Charlotte. The reason was a player with a purple eye. Jason Kidd looked like a battered boxer Sunday but played steady down the stretch, leading the New Jersey Nets to an 89-79 victory in what may have been the Hornets' final game in Charlotte. His right eye swollen and bruised, Kidd scored 24 points and made 11 free throws in the fourth to give New Jersey a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 5 is Wednesday in New Jersey, where a victory would put the Nets in the conference finals for the first time in team history and would end the Hornets' 14-year era in Charlotte. The team is relocating to New Orleans next season, and the 13,864 fans - more than 6,000 short of capacity - gave them a standing ovation as the game wound down. With the finality of it all setting in, they crowded the tunnel, applauding the players - especially captain David Wesley - as the Hornets dejectedly ran to the locker room. Baron Davis led the Hornets with 20 points but went just 9-for-17 on free throws. George Lynch added 19 and Wesley, with five years the longest-tenured member of the Hornets, added 15. But the game belonged to Kidd, who opened a gash above his eye in a head-to-head collision with Wesley in Game 3. He was a game-time decision because no one was sure how swollen his right eye would be. With a lot of puffiness, heavy bandages covering the stitches in his eyebrow and a deep purple bruise below it, Kidd looked to be on the mark when he hit his first shot, an 18-foot jumper from the top of the key. It turned out to be a false sign as Kidd struggled from the floor through most of the game. After missing his first six 3-point attempts, he made one midway through the fourth and scored on a fast-break layup that drew a foul and gave the Nets a 78-69 lead with 6:07 to play. He made critical free throws down the stretch, going 11-of-14 at the line. It helped make up for his 6-for-23 shooting night - he went just 1-of-9 on 3-pointers. The Hornets had their own problems - center Elden Campbell was hit with a 24-hour virus on Saturday and had to play his way through that. He was clearly off, finishing with just seven points and six rebounds. The Hornets, struggling at the free throw line and being dominated on the glass, fell apart in the fourth quarter. Davis had several opportunities at the line, but missed 3-of-6 free throws down the stretch. And their rebounding effort took a hit when P.J. Brown, who led everyone with 16 boards, fouled out 4:26 to play. It allowed the Nets to continue their domination of the glass - the outrebounded Charlotte 51-40, getting 11 each from Kidd and Keith Van Horn. Kerry Kittles scored 20 points for New Jersey, Van Horn added 16 and Kenyon Martin had 13 before fouling out. The officials set the tone early on aggressive play, calling a foul on Van Horn for making contact with Davis on the tipoff and following it with three technicals and a flagrant foul in the first half. Lynch was called for with a technical early for taunting New Jersey's bench after a basket, Anthony Johnson was called for one after getting tangled with Campbell and Martin received one for knocking down Brown on a rebound attempt. Aaron Williams was later hit with a flagrant foul for going over Davis, effectively swiping at his head, as he tried to block Davis' shot. Replays indicated the 6-foot-9 Williams was going for the ball, but it didn't matter. Davis went to the line, hit one of two free throws, then made a 3-pointer to close the half and put the Hornets up 44-39. Notes: Kidd's wife, Joumana, said she was certain Kidd's eye would not sideline him Sunday. ``Even if it was glued shut, he would have tried to play a quarter,'' she said. ... Hornets coach Paul Silas and several players lingered during the pre-game shootaround signing autographs, a sign that they realized it could be their last game in Charlotte. ... Silas said he doubted Charlotte would be able to lure another NBA franchise until the city built a new arena. ``It will take a real commitment (from the city) and that's a gamble.''

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/5/194796