Kidd, Stackhouse Spark Their Team's to Win
Wednesday, January 10, 2007; 4:34 AM
-- Jason Kidd kept his focus. Jerry Stackhouse lost his cool. Two very different ways to spark teams to victory.
Stackhouse wasn't around to see the end of his, getting tossed after picking up his second flagrant foul in the Dallas Mavericks' 108-105 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.
  New Jersey Nets' Jason Kidd reacts during second quarter NBA basketball against the Toronto Raptors Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007 in East Rutherford, N.J. The Nets beat the Raptors, 101-86. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun) (Bill Kostroun - AP) |
He also was hit with a technical foul for jawing with Utah coach Jerry Sloan near midcourt and didn't hide his feelings about the Jazz.
"It's just another team that I can be passionate against," Stackhouse said. "They're going to hold and grab, try to play a fake physical game."
Kidd had 10 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds to lead the New Jersey Nets into first place with a 101-86 victory over the Toronto Raptors.
In a game that matched the top teams in the weak Atlantic Division, Kidd refused to lose his focus, even though he had filed for divorce from his wife of 10 years only hours earlier.
"There is really no distraction," Kidd said. "This is my job. This is my livelihood. Anything personal, stays personal. I have a job to do and try every night to go out there and do it."
In other games, it was: Indiana 91, Atlanta 72; Detroit 98, Philadelphia 89; Memphis 128, the Los Angeles Lakers 118; San Antonio 98, Portland 84; Phoenix 113, Seattle 102; and Cleveland 108, Sacramento 98.
At East Rutherford, N.J., the Nets dominated the first-place battle, getting 32 points from Vince Carter and 21 from Richard Jefferson.
Mikki Moore added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Nets, who shot 50 percent from the field and limited the Raptors to 38 second-half points in taking a half-game lead in the division where every team is below .500.
Kidd preferred to focus on that instead of his personal situation. He accused his wife, Joumana, of "extreme cruelty" throughout their marriage.
"I can't talk about my personal stuff," Kidd said. "I hope you guys will respect this tough situation my family is going through and that we can resolve this as quickly as possible."
