Green leads Nets over Cavs

Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J.

Gerald Green knows he’s going to get his chances to score when he’s on the floor with veterans like Deron Williams and Anthony Morrow.

Green scored a season-high 32 points, including a clutch 3-pointer with 36.7 seconds left in regulation and a high-flying dunk in overtime, leading the New Jersey Nets to a 122-117 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night.

“When I’m on the floor, everyone’s attention has to be on them,” Green said. “It makes my life a whole lot easier. I tend to get a lot of open shots.”

Green, signed as a free agent out of the NDBL in late February, shot 11 for 18 from the field, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range to help the Nets win their season-high third straight at home. New Jersey has also won six of nine overall.

“If I have an open shot and I don’t take it, my teammates get down on me,” said Green, whose previous best this season was 26 points on two occasions. “They all tell me to be aggressive and take those shots.”

Morrow scored 24 points, Williams had 18 points and 10 assists and Kris Humphries added 16 points and 11 rebounds as New Jersey finished with its highest scoring total of the season — topping the 115 in a loss to Denver on Jan. 11.

Antawn Jamison scored a season high-tying 34 points, Lester Hudson had 26 and Alonzo Gee added 22 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland, which lost for the 10th time in 11 games and the 13th in their last 15. Tristan Thompson had 15 points and 15 rebounds.

The teams traded the lead seven times in the final 5 minutes of regulation before Green gave the Nets a 109-106 lead with his 3-pointer. However, Hudson sent the game to overtime with a fall-away 3 with just 0.3 seconds left.

“He made that shot, but we didn’t drop our heads,” Nets coach Avery Johnson said. “We just kept on fighting. I think two weeks ago, we would not have won this game.”

Johnson was asked if he considered fouling in the closing seconds with a three-point lead instead of giving Hudson, another signee from the NDBL, the chance to hit the tying shot.

“With a capital ‘N’ and a capital ‘O,’ ” Johnson said. “It’s not my philosophy, my mindset. We’re not going to foul there.”