EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - It didn't matter that Clifford Robinson had missed
seven of his first nine shots. He was open and the game was on the line, and
players don't hang around for 17 years in the NBA if they don't cash in more of
those opportunities than they squander.
Robinson made two 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter to help New Jersey
pull away, and the Nets beat Minnesota 86-82 Thursday night for their seventh
straight victory and 15th win in their last 18 home games.
Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson each scored 21 points as the Nets snapped
a four-game losing streak to Minnesota. But it was the two times Carter set up
Robinson late in the game that made the difference.
"Cliff had the courage to step up and shoot them. That's why he's still at a
high level at 39 years old," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. "You can't be
afraid to miss a shot."
Both shots came from the left side and both gave New Jersey some breathing
room. The first came with the game tied at 75 with 2:12 left, and Robinson
buried the second with 53 seconds left after Marcus Banks had pulled Minnesota
within a point with two free throws.
"They were pretty much the same play," said Robinson, who has more years in
the league than any active player. "On the first one, they left me to focus on
Vince, and he did a good job of finding me. Vince, Richard, Jason (Kidd), they
really command a lot of attention, and at that point of the game you're going to
think that they're going to get the shot."
Up to that point, the Nets had struggled for long stretches against
Minnesota's zone defense. They trailed by as many as 16 points in the second
quarter, but erased a 10-point halftime deficit and led by as many as four
points in the third quarter before the Timberwolves came back to take a 70-64
lead on Ricky Davis' 3-pointer.
"We weren't very patient early," Carter said. "We were going a little bit too
fast. The zone really threw things out of whack. Guys were taking jumpers
instead of penetrating and then finding the open guy."
It didn't matter in the end because Minnesota's penchant for losing leads
took hold, and the Timberwolves scored just 12 points in the game's final 10:54.
They fell to 22-11 when leading after three quarters, the second-most losses in
the NBA.