Jan 25, 2008

Ellis scores 39 points

in win over visiting Nets

Golden State blows big lead, rallies for wild victory

By GREG BEACHAM / Associated Press

Monta Ellis scored a career-high 39 points, hitting four free throws in the final minute, and the Golden State Warriors both scored 22 consecutive points and blew a 13-point lead in the nutty fourth quarter of their 121-119 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Thursday night.

Baron Davis posted his eighth career triple-double with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, yet the Warriors weren't safe until Ellis hit two go-ahead free throws with a minute left and two more with 15.7 second to play. Golden State finally finished off New Jersey, which lost its seventh straight despite Richard Jefferson's 34 points and an impressive fourth-quarter rally.

Al Harrington scored 19 points and hit three of his four 3-pointers while Golden State scored 22 straight points in less than four minutes early in the period. New Jersey improbably made an 18-4 rally in its fourth stop on a tough six-game road trip, taking a 112-111 lead with 2:03 left on Antoine Wright's 3-pointer.

But Golden State reclaimed the lead on Ellis' free throws with 60 seconds left, and both Wright and Jason Kidd missed 3-pointers before Davis' cherry-picking layup with 25 seconds to play. New Jersey cut the final margin on Bostjan Nachbar's 3-pointer in the final second.

Vince Carter scored 29 points for the Nets, who are on their longest skid in more than three years. Josh Boone had 21 points and 17 rebounds, and the notoriously poor free throw shooter made 6 of 12 during Golden State coach Don Nelson's scheme to foul Boone intentionally on every possession. The ploy didn't work for Golden State.