Carter nets 32 to lead New Jersey past Cavs

LeBron James is still wearing a padded glove to protect his left index finger.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Vince Carter matched a season high with 32 points, Richard Jefferson had 24, and the New Jersey Nets snapped a four-game losing streak with a 105-97 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.

Reserve Josh Boone added a season-high 15, even though he was 2-for-4 from the line when the Cavs intentionally fouled him on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter. Boone, who threw up an airball from the line earlier, was 3-of-8 there overall.

Jason Kidd finished with eight points, 11 assists and eight rebounds as the Nets overcame their usual slow start at home to win for only the second time in seven games — both against Cleveland.

LeBron James had 29 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Cleveland, which has lost seven of eight. Five of those losses came when its superstar was out with a sprained left index finger. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 21 points and 12 rebounds.

James again wore a padded glove on his left hand, which he said doesn’t affect him and he may need to use for a couple of weeks.

The Nets routed the Cavs 100-79 when he was out, and he expected this one to be different in the Cavs’ first trip back to New Jersey since their victory in Game 6 to wrap up the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“They did what they had to do. Our best guy is out, you better take advantage of it. You can’t let that game get away,” James said before the game. “It’s going to be a different game, they know that. It’s not going to be the same game it was in Cleveland.”

New Jersey led by nine midway through the fourth quarter, but Ilgauskas made a jumper and James hit consecutive 3-pointers to cut the Nets’ lead to 93-92 with 4:10 remaining. Carter then answered with a 3, and after a jumper by Drew Gooden, Boone did just enough at the line to keep the Nets safely ahead.

The Nets, plagued by poor starts at home, trailed by double digits halfway through the opening quarter. Their 1-of-11 start from the field included an inept stretch by Boone, who missed a layup and a tip on one possession, then grabbed an offensive rebound but blew the dunk on the next.

New Jersey regrouped to get within four heading to the second, then went ahead 31-27 early in the period when rookie reserve Sean Williams followed his three-point play with a dunk on the next trip. But Hughes and Gibson each scored nine points in the period, with Hughes hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Cleveland a 57-50 halftime lead.

Ilgauskas scored 12 points in the third, but the Nets surged ahead by hitting 10 of 17 shots, with Carter’s jumper with 25 seconds left making it 80-78 heading to the fourth.