EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey, 13 June 2003 — Jason Kidd turned in another clutch performance draining four free throws in the final seconds to give the Jersey Nets a 77-76 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

With the victory, the Nets drew level at 2-2 in the best-of-seven NBA finals series.

As the seconds ticked off the scoreboard clock the capacity crowd of 19,280 stood in wild celebration, basking in the first ever finals win at Continental Airlines Arena.

The victory will come as a huge relief for Nets fans after watching their side swept from last year’s championship by the Los Angeles Lakers and absorb an 84-79 loss in Game Three on Sunday.

The Nets will have an opportunity to make it back-to-back wins with Game Five scheduled for the Meadowlands on Friday before the series shifts back to San Antonio for Game Six on Sunday.

With no team having ever clawed back from a 3-1 deficit to capture the NBA crown, the game took on a do-or-die feel for the Nets.

After a disappointing Game Three, Kidd’s reputation of following up a poor performance with a brilliant one ran true to form, the All-Star guard stamping his mark on the contest with a 16 point, nine assist, eight rebound effort.

Kenyon Martin also came up with his best effort of the series when it mattered most, hitting a game high 20 for the Nets and providing a menacing defensive presence.

“This was a must win, we know that coming in,” Martin said.

“We knew we had to give a maximum effort and we did on both ends.

“We kind of relaxed a bit when we got up 15 and let them get back in the game.

“We just had to get our focus back and we did. It was huge for us to get this thing 2-2.”

With the game and perhaps the series hanging in the balance, Martin dropped two free throws with 1:12 to play, pushing the Nets in front 73-72.

After that it was Kidd who handled the rest of the Nets scoring, the All-Star guard draining four pressure packed free throws in the last nine seconds to provide the margin of victory, after two-time league MVP Tim Duncan hit a short jumper at the buzzer.

“This was a big game for us tonight,” said Kidd, who also turned in a clutch 30-point effort in the Nets Game Two win.

“But if this was a big game tonight then Game Five is going to be even bigger because whatever team wins that is in control of the series.

The erratic shooting seen in Game Three spilled over into Game four with both sides struggling to make shots, particularly the Spurs, who finished the night shooting a dismal 29 percent from the field, the third lowest in NBA finals history.

Paced by 10 points from Duncan, the Spurs slipped into an 18-16 first quarter lead. But San Antonio sputtered in the second when Duncan and their other big man David Robinson both found themselves in foul trouble.

With San Antonio’s “Two Towers” on the bench the Nets fast break offence began to click, Kidd seizing control engineering a 14-2 run to end the quarter and send the Nets into the intermission to a thundering ovation and a 45-34 lead.

A rim-rattling dunk from Richard Jefferson to start the second half, allowed the Nets to maintain the momentum surging in front 51-36 lead. But the Nets watched that lead vanish as the Spurs bench went on 21-5 eating up New Jersey’s 15-point cushion to a take a 57-56 lead into the final quarter.

In need of a lift, the Nets got one from the New Jersey Devils, their room mates at the Continental Airlines Arena appearing on court with the Stanley Cup they won two days earlier with a Game Seven victory over the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

With the Arena now crackling with energy, movie star Bruce Willis rose for his courtside seat and grabbed the microphone leading a cheer of “Let’s go Nets” as New Jersey slipped back in front 67-66.

“It took a lot of heart tonight,” Nets coach Byron Scott said.