Carter's 31 helps Nets down Sixers 101-90
(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-19 11:35

PHILADELPHIA - Vince Carter scored 31 points and had 10 assists to lead the New Jersey Nets to a 101-90 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

The Atlantic Division standings show the Nets with a four-game lead over the second-place Sixers. The gap, though, seems considerably wider considering New Jersey has won 12 of 15 while Philadelphia has lost seven of 10.

Allen Iverson led the Sixers with 36 points and Chris Webber had 15.

Iverson came up limping late in the fourth quarter when he appeared to knock knees with Jason Collins on a driving layup. Iverson hobbled around the court, rubbed his right leg, but remained in the game. He did take off for the locker room as soon as the game ended.

Much like how the Sixers collapsed in their embarrassing 104-76 loss to Washington on Monday, they again put up little fight in the fourth quarter.

The Nets got a pair of jumpers from Clifford Robinson and a 3 from Richard Jefferson during a 10-0 spurt that opened the fourth and gave them an 86-69 lead.

The home crowd started booing and heading for the exits. After making only two baskets in the first three quarters, Webber hit a 3-pointer and a 16-footer on consecutive possessions that helped pull the Sixers within eight.

Carter pushed back the Sixers with a couple of jumpers and the Nets cruised from there. Jefferson had 20 points and 16 rebounds, Robinson added 15 points and Nenad Krstic had 16.

Iverson had attempted only 12 shots and scored eight points in the first two quarters before he finally got going after the Nets used a 10-0 run to take a 60-46 lead in the third.

Iverson scored 11 straight points and had 19 of Philadelphia's 27 points in the third to cut the deficit to 77-69. Iverson complained after Monday's loss that he wasn't sure about his role on the team and what he could do to help the Sixers win.

Coach Maurice Cheeks shrugged off Iverson's complaint and said before the game he had no reason to speak with his star point guard about his place on the team.

Cheeks shuffled the starting lineup, hoping for some sort of combination that would instill a much needed defensive toughness. He benched 3-point threat Kyle Korver in favor of the more defensively adept John Salmons, but nothing changed. The Nets scored 30 points and shot 52 percent in the first quarter.

Michael Bradley did grab a season-high 10 rebounds in 17 minutes — more than double his usual playing time.