AUBURN HILLS, Michigan, 20 May 2003 — Jason Kidd could not buy a bucket until it counted most.
Kidd, who missed all but five of his first 18 shots, nailed a go-ahead fadeaway jumper over two defenders with 1.4 seconds left as the New Jersey Nets edged the Detroit Pistons 76-74 in Game One of the National Basketball Association’s Eastern Conference finals.
“I hadn’t made one in awhile so it was nice to get one at the right time,” said Kidd.
New Jersey led 74-67 after Kidd sank a jumper with 3:05 left before Detroit stormed back to tie the game on a pair of free throws by Chauncey Billups with 22 seconds left.
Following a timeout, Kidd stood well outside the top of the arc and milked the clock before dribbling toward the right side.
After passing Billups, Kidd dribbled toward the baseline and launched a high-arcing jumper over center Mehmet Okur.
The ball circled the rim before dropping through the net with 1.4 seconds to play.
“I like to have the ball in my hands when it counts,” said Kidd.
The Pistons called a pair of timeouts around Tayshaun Prince’s inability to inbound. Following the second timeout, the first-year forward launched a lob to the right side of the rim, where Okur outjumped Richard Jefferson and tipped the ball with his right hand.
Okur missed the initial tip but gathered the rebound and two-handed a second shot off the backboard. But the ball hit the left side of the rim and bounced away, allowing the Nets to celebrate. Kenyon Martin contributed 16 points and nine rebounds and Kidd 15, nine and seven assists for the Nets, who have won seven straight playoff games, including four in a row on the road.
Richard Hamilton had 24 points to pace Detroit, which had won 16 of their last 17 home games over New Jersey and six in a row at The Palace in the postseason since losing game one of its first-round series with Orlando.
In a game that featured several lengthy field-goal droughts by both teams, New Jersey shot 40 percent (31-of-78) and Detroit 35 percent (25-of-71).
New Jersey, which had a five-day layoff after sweeping Boston in the conference semifinals, jumped to an 18-6 lead on a follow basket by Jefferson with 2:44 to play in the first quarter.
Okur entered and scored eight points to help the Pistons pull within 22-16 entering the second period.
The Nets led by 43-36 at the break but came up cold in the third, allowing the Pistons to take a 63-53 lead on a layup by Ben Wallace with 26 seconds to play in the period. But New Jersey scored the final two points of the quarter and the first 10 of the fourth, grabbing a 65-63 lead on a pair of free throws by Aaron Williams with 9:04 to play. After Hamilton made a lay-up with 7:54 to play to even the contest, the Pistons again went cold from the floor, failing to sink a basket until Hamilton’s runner in the paint got Detroit within 74-72 with 55 seconds left. The Pistons were 2-of-19 from the floor in the final period.
Okur scored 12 points - four after the first quarter - and Billups 11 on 3-of-12 shooting for the Pistons, who made only 20-of-30 free-throw attempts. Ben Wallace grabbed 22 rebounds but scored only six points and connected on just 2-of-7 attempts from the stripe for Detroit.
