By BRIAN MAHONEY ADVERTISING By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK — Joe Johnson’s 10th 3-pointer was maybe the toughest, coming while being fouled in the corner, and now he had a decision. Settle for the best 3-point shooting
By BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK — Joe Johnson’s 10th 3-pointer was maybe the toughest, coming while being fouled in the corner, and now he had a decision.
Settle for the best 3-point shooting night of the season, or stay on the court for the fourth quarter and a chance at history?
“I asked him, he wanted out. So he did his job,” Jason Kidd said. “I’m not a coach that’s going to sit someone when they’re hot.”
And Johnson was sizzling.
Johnson made 10 3-pointers, most in the NBA this season, and scored a season-high 37 points to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 130-94 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.
“My teammates kept telling me, when you catch it, just shoot it,” Johnson said.
Johnson finished 10 for 14 from behind the arc, including 8 of 10 during an incredible third-quarter shooting performance. He passed the nine 3-pointers made this season by Jeremy Lin, who also did it against the inept 76ers perimeter defense, and Stephen Curry.
Johnson scored 29 points in the third, his most in any quarter in his career. But after battling an illness the last few days and with the Nets ahead 100-73, Johnson declined the opportunity to play in the fourth quarter and chase the NBA record of 12 3-pointers held by Kobe Bryant and Donyell Marshall.
“I wasn’t worried about it,” Johnson said. “Most importantly I wanted to try to keep guys healthy and get some of the other guys a chance to play.”
He finished 13 of 20 overall in the kind of night few players have seen — though one Net said he had.
“Not of recent, but yes, I have,” 37-year-old Kevin Garnett said. “I’ve been in the league since like Moses. Not too much I ain’t seen.”
Deron Williams had 13 points and 13 assists for the Nets, who led by as many as 42 and won for the fourth time in five games. They did it without center Brook Lopez, but no inside game was really needed on this night when the Nets set a franchise record for 3-pointers.
Brooklyn finished 21 of 35 from behind the arc against a Philadelphia team that came in averaging 10.1 3-pointers allowed per game, a pace that would easily set an NBA record.
James Anderson scored 17 points for the 76ers, who lost their seventh straight overall and have dropped 11 in a row on the road since winning at Washington in their road opener.
INDIANAPOLIS — Josh Smith had 30 points, Greg Monroe finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons handed Indiana its first home loss Monday night, stunning the Pacers 101-96.
The Pistons won for the second time in six games, ending a six-game skid in the series and a nine-game losing streak on the Pacers home court.
Lance Stephenson had a season high 23 points, while Luis Scola scored 13 of his season-best 18 in the fourth quarter for Indiana (20-4), which was 11-0 at home coming into the game. Oklahoma City remains the only NBA team unbeaten at home with a 12-0 record..
ATLANTA — Kyle Korver sank three 3-pointers in Atlanta’s dominant third quarter, Al Horford scored 19 points to lead the Hawks past cold-shooting Kobe Bryant and Los Angeles.
Paul Millsap had 18 points and Jeff Teague had 17 with 10 assists for the Hawks. Horford grabbed 11 rebounds.
Bryant made only 4 of 14 shots for eight points.
Nick Young led the Lakers with 23 points while making five 3-pointers. Jordan Hill had 21, Xavier Henry had 18 and Pau Gasol had 16, but no other Los Angeles player scored in double figures.
NEW YORK — Bradley Beal’s driving layup with 6 seconds remaining carried Washington past New York.
The Knicks didn’t use one of their three remaining timeouts after Beal’s basket. Carmelo Anthony took the inbounds pass, dribbled the up court and attempted a 3-pointer that bounced off the rim as time expired.
Beal led the Wizards with 21 points, including their final seven as Washington erased a six-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Martell Webster added 30 points and John Wall 20 points for the Wizards.
Anthony finished with 32 for the Knicks.
MIAMI — LeBron James finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and nine assists despite sitting some of the second half after twisting his left ankle, Dwyane Wade added 27 points and Miami rolled past Utah.
It was Miami’s 17th straight victory over a Western Conference opponent, the second-longest regular-season streak by an Eastern Conference team in NBA history. Boston won 20 straight over the West during a nine-month span of 1973.
Chris Bosh scored 20 points for the Heat, who moved within two games of Indiana for the East lead. Miami plays host to the Pacers on Wednesday.
Alec Burks scored 31 points for Utah, which got 17 from Derrick Favors.
BOSTON — Jared Sullinger had 24 points and 11 rebounds, including a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 2:22 left that helped Boston Celtics hold off Minnesota.
Sullinger had 15 points and six rebounds in the fourth quarter, and Avery Bradley had 19 points for the game. The Celtics won for the fifth time in seven games to hold onto first place in the Atlantic Division despite a 12-14 record that would be 12th-best in the Western Conference.
Kevin Love had 27 points and 14 rebounds for Minnesota, which has not won in Boston since 2005. But he was 2 for 11 from 3-point range as the Timberwolves, who hit a season-high 12 3-pointers at Memphis on Sunday, went 8 of 29 from beyond the arc.
