National Basketball Association
Nets 102, Warriors 100
National Basketball Association

Nets 102, Warriors 100

Published Mar. 31, 2012 7:06 a.m. ET

Gerald Wallace believes the future is bright for the New Jersey Nets, even if he might not be a part of it.

That's a decision Wallace will have to make this summer. For now, the 6-foot-7 forward is content trying to help the limping Nets salvage what they can from a disappointing season.

Wallace scored 10 points over the final 6 minutes and made a pair of key defensive stops as New Jersey rallied from 19 points down in the second half to beat the Golden State Warriors 102-100 on Friday night.

''The future looks good, if we had everybody healthy,'' Wallace said after the Nets opened a four-game West Coast trip with their first win at Oracle Arena in more than six years. ''We have an elite point guard, we have one of the up-and-coming centers ... so our future looks great.''

ADVERTISEMENT

Wallace might not have had the same feelings two weeks ago after arriving in a trade from Portland. New Jersey lost its first five games with Wallace to drop 19 games below .500.

The Nets have turned things around lately and have won three of their last four.

Now Wallace is entertaining the idea of sticking around after this season.

''I'm still trying to figure out everything,'' he said. ''We have a lot of guys who are free agents ... but what we have right here is special and tonight just showed what we can do, what the heart and determination of this team is. (My decision) will come.''

The Nets hadn't won in Oakland since Nov. 21, 2005, and appeared to be on their way to extending the drought before storming back to outscore the Warriors 32-16 in the fourth quarter.

Gerald Green tied the score with a thundering one-handed dunk from the baseline then added the game-winner moments later to stun the Warriors home crowd.

Wallace finished with 24 points and 18 rebounds for the Nets. He also blocked Charles Jenkins' potential tying shot just before time ran out.

''We were a little lethargic early on, but our guys just persevered and fought,'' Nets coach Avery Johnson said. ''We got down by 19 and no one panicked.''

Kris Humphries added 20 points and nine rebounds while Deron Williams had nine points and a season-high 20 assists to help New Jersey to its third win in four games.

David Lee had 27 points and six rebounds for Golden State, which led 76-57 midway through the third quarter but couldn't get much going offensively the rest of the way.

''We didn't close them out when we had them and it came back to bite us,'' Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. ''We ought to be ashamed of ourselves. They outworked us in our own building.''

Wallace led the charge on both ends, helping the comeback when he stole the ball from Lee underneath New Jersey's basket for an easy score. He finished 7 of 16 from the floor and added five assists.

Green added 20 points, none more critical than his final two baskets when he soared in from the left baseline and split two defenders for a one-handed slam, then followed it with his soft floater 36 seconds later.

That was critical for the Nets, who went into the game limping as starting center Shelden Williams (injured right eye) and backup Jordan Williams (concussion) were both hurt during Wednesday's 100-84 win over the Indiana Pacers and were unavailable.

Shelden Williams did not make the trip and will be re-evaluated next week. Jordan Williams did join his teammates out West but did not play.

The win was New Jersey's third in four games following a stretch in which they dropped seven of nine.

For Golden State, it was yet another setback for a team that has been struggling since trading leading scorer Monta Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Warriors have dropped nine of 11 games since the trade and now head on the road to play seven of their next nine.

Lee has helped shoulder the scoring load for Golden State since Ellis trade and got off to a fast start against the Nets. He made six of his first seven shots and scored 14 points in the first quarter, including buckets on consecutive trips down the floor when the Warriors built an early seven-point lead.

Johan Petro, who missed New Jersey's previous two games with a bruised right shoulder, pulled the Nets within 24-22 with a powerful one-handed dunk before Brandon Rush drove the length of the floor and around Williams in the key for an easy layup to put the Warriors up by four.

Dominic McGuire's reverse layup pushed Golden State's lead to 14 midway through the second quarter, and after a brief run by New Jersey, Lee followed his own miss to give the Warriors a 51-42 halftime lead.

Rookie center Jeremy Tyler gave Golden State a boost with all 10 of his points in the third quarter. Tyler, making only his seventh NBA start, added four rebounds.

The Warriors, who were booed heavily by the home crowd following Wednesday's 102-87 loss to New Orleans, took a double-digit lead into the fourth before the Nets made their late push.

NOTES: Golden State PG Stephen Curry (sprained right ankle) missed his 12th straight game. ... The Warriors have sold out seven straight, their longest streak of the season. ... The Nets signed Dennis Horner to a 10-day contract before the game. The 6-foot-9 forward had been playing with the Springfield Armor of the D-League and had been averaging 17 points and 8.5 rebounds. ... Injured Nets G Jordan Farmar accompanied the team on the trip but did not suit up for the game, the third straight game he's missed due to a strained groin.

share


Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more