EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., March 22 (UPI) -- Jason Kidd had 17 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds Friday night as the New Jersey Nets won their franchise record-tying ninth consecutive home game, 108-84, over the struggling Milwaukee Bucks.
New Jersey has not lost at home since Feb. 14 to Detroit. It extended its lead to three games over the Pistons atop the Eastern Conference standings.
Milwaukee has dropped its last four contests to slip to fifth place in the conference, seven games behind the Nets and four behind the Pistons in the Central Division. The Bucks were tied with the Pistons atop the division as recently as Saturday.
In this one, Michael Redd's three-pointer with 6:23 remaining in the second quarter gave the Bucks their largest lead, 38-25. But the Nets countered with a 25-10 run into halftime and took the lead for good at 50-48 on a three-pointer by Kidd with less than a second remaining.
Darvin Ham got Milwaukee within 58-55 on a dunk with 8:45 left in the third quarter, but Kidd nailed another shot from the arc to start a 28-4 burst that was capped by a jumper by rookie Richard Jefferson with 41 seconds left in the period.
The Nets held an 86-62 advantage after three quarters and led by at least 20 points thereafter.
Kerry Kittles scored 21 points, Kenyon Martin added 20 and Keith Van Horn 14 with 10 rebounds for the Nets, who made six of 10 three-pointers in the third quarter, when they outscored the Bucks, 36-14.
Sam Cassell scored 18 points, Ray Allen had 16 and Redd 15 for the Bucks, who missed stars Glenn Robinson (bruised tailbone) and Tim Thomas (sprained right knee).
