Basketball - Nets Hold On to Force Game 6

CLEVELAND ? The city was primed for a minor coronation. Mark Price was in the stands, the streamers were in place and LeBron James was set to usher in the next great Cleveland Cavaliers era. All he needed to do was fashion one more victory over the Nets

The celebration was put on hold Wednesday, and emotions were considerably more tense by the end of the evening than they had been for two days.

With a chance to advance to their first Eastern Conference finals in 15 years, the Cavaliers stumbled hard. The Nets, who appeared close to a franchise overhaul, took an 83-72 victory to extend the series. The Cavaliers have a 3-2 lead, with Game 6 scheduled for Friday night at Continental Arena.

Rather than mark another milestone in his young career, James produced a mute 20-point game and left the court with 45.5 seconds left after apparently injuring himself chasing a loose ball. James tripped over Jason Kidd near the Cavaliers? bench and appeared to wedge his feet between the edge of the court and the folding chairs.

Cleveland failed to close out the series despite the Nets? horrid fourth quarter. After shooting better than 50 percent through three quarters, the Nets made just 1 of 15 shots in the fourth and scored 6 points. But they had built enough of a cushion, having led by as many as 22 points in the third quarter. The Cavaliers went 3 for 17 in the final period.

Kidd led the Nets with 20 points and 6 assists, but had 8 turnovers. Vince Carter, who lost the ball with a chance to tie the score late in Game 4, had 12 points and 10 assists.

The Nets took a 77-59 lead into the fourth quarter, then spent the next several minutes tripping over themselves. They missed their first 9 field-goal attempts of the period and mixed in 6 turnovers along the way. They scored just 2 points, on free throws, in the first 7 minutes 53 seconds of the quarter.

And still the Cavaliers had trouble taking the game back. Donyell Marshall, Eric Snow and Larry Hughes combined to miss 4 of 6 free throws, and James missed a point-blank shot.

Cleveland finally got the deficit down to single digits, 79-70, when James spun for a driving layup and Hughes followed with a 3-pointer. Carter answered with a 15-footer to end the Nets? shooting drought and make it an 11-point lead with 4:07 to play.

Tension in the series had heated up considerably by tip-off. The Cavaliers were incensed by Mikki Moore?s takedown of Sasha Pavlovic in Game 4. They accused the Nets of targeting Pavlovic in the series. Fans here booed Moore at every turn. Then Pavlovic exacted his revenge.

On a fast break early in the third quarter, Kidd hit Moore with the ball and Pavlovic hit Moore, sending him crashing into the basket stanchion. The fans erupted in approval. Pavlovic was called for a flagrant foul. Moore simply stood back up and clapped, then made both free throws.

The satisfaction of the moment wore off quickly for the Cavaliers. Kidd followed Moore?s free throws with a 3-pointer, making it a 5-point possession. The Nets? lead was 16. Minutes later, they pushed it to 22.

Suddenly, the boos were all directed at the Cavaliers. And the retribution idea did not look so wise. Moore seemed energized by the incident, scoring 8 points in the quarter. Kidd had 10 points in the period.

James, who spoke passionately and angrily about the Nets? roughing up Pavlovic, was the one taking the most blows Wednesday. The tip of James?s nose was bloodied by an inadvertent backhand from Richard Jefferson in the first minute of the third quarter. Moore smacked him in the head while tussling for a loose ball.

Cleveland seized control of this series with Monday?s victory in New Jersey, a game defined in part by Moore?s third-quarter takedown of Pavlovic. The Cavaliers said the incident helped spark them, although they would prefer not to see it again. On Tuesday, James accused the Nets of targeting Pavlovic, saying, ?I guess the intent was to go at Sasha in a harmful manner.?

James said the Nets? apparent viciousness began with a series of hard screens in Game 3. ?It really ticked me off,? he said.

The Nets reacted with a combination of surprise and amusement.

?No, I don?t think we?ve made Sasha Pavlovic public enemy No. 1,? Coach Lawrence Frank said earlier in the day.

Here, that label was reserved for Moore (who nevertheless signed autographs for several young fans in Cavaliers jerseys before the game). Moore seemed bemused by James?s angry charges.

?I didn?t try to hurt the boy,? Moore said. ?If they want to take offense to a little love tap, that?s their problem. It?s a man?s sport.?

Moore added: ?Why would we aim at Sasha? I mean, he?s a pretty good player, but he?s not LeBron. I don?t think if Sasha is out of the game they would lose.?

Everyone managed to play nicely in the first half as the Nets cruised to a 47-39 lead. Pavlovic did bruise his right wrist, but it did not set off an international incident.

Bostjan Nachbar, dormant since Game 1, hit three 3-pointers and had a team-high 11 points in the half. Carter turned playmaker late in the half, setting up three straight scores at the rim, two by Moore and one by Josh Boone.

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