NEWARK, NEW JERSEY // The New Jersey Nets handed the Denver Nuggets their worst loss of the season, crushing the North-west Division leaders 114-70 on Saturday night. Point guard Devin Harris scored 28 points to lead six Nets in double figures as New Jersey, the third-place team in the Atlantic Division, won their fourth consecutive game. "We played well all the way around," Harris said. "We had some lapses but for the most part we did a decent job, we got out in transition, which was something that we had been struggling."
Brook Lopez added 15 points and nine rebounds, Ryan Anderson had 13 points and 12 rebounds and Jarvis Hayes scored 14 points. Teammates Vince Carter and Trenton Hassell were also in double figures. Carter had 12 points and Hassell 11. Carmelo Anthony, who scored 15 points, was the only Denver player in double figures. New Jersey led by five points after the first period, then ripped open the game with a 35-point second quarter for a 20-point lead. The margin grew to 37 points in the third period.
"Sometimes you're one step too slow," the Nuggets coach George Karl surmised. "Tonight we were two steps too slow. "Offensively we were slow, defensively we were slow. Rebounds, hustle points, all that we were slow on. This is the first time all year we haven't had enough energy to fight back." The Nuggets guard Anthony Carter blamed a lack of sleep for the team's sluggishness. "We didn't get to bed until 5am and got up for breakfast at 11am and guys just didn't have it tonight," Carter said.
"We're going to have some games like this... The Nets had a couple days rest and they came out and jumped on us quick." *Reuters
