[AP photo]
Aaron Williams (34) and Mehmet Okur struggle to control the ball during the first half of Game 3 of the East final.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin got running in the first quarter, so the Nets didn't have to wait until the fourth to win.
Dominant at both ends, Kidd scored a career playoff-high 34 and Martin had 19 as the Nets finally hit their up-tempo stride and moved within one victory of an East final sweep by beating the Pistons 97-85 Thursday night.
Martin scored 14 in the first quarter, when New Jersey took the lead for good. Kidd scored 15 of New Jersey's 19 and had two steals during a 91/2-minute stretch starting late in the second quarter, leading his team to a 32-4 advantage in fastbreak points.
"We played their game up there. We wanted to play our game at home," Martin said. "The games up there were too close, and we wanted to come up here and get a little distance between us and them."
Kidd made 11 of 21 shots, 11 of 13 free throws and had 12 rebounds and six assists. He shot free throws to chants of "M-V-P! M-V-P!" in the fourth quarter.
"It felt good to get out and get some easy baskets," Kidd said.
The Nets sputtered before winning the first two games of the series by two points apiece with fourth-quarter rallies, with the scores in the 70s and 80s.
Regardless of the method, the defending conference champions have won nine straight playoff games and can close out their second straight sweep Saturday when they host Game 4.
Richard Hamilton scored 21 - but only six in the second half - to lead the Pistons, who must attempt to become the first team in history to come back from 3-0 down to win a series.
Desperate to find a winning formula, coach Rick Carlisle benched struggling starters Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince for much of the second half, but there was no solution for 18 turnovers, a 50-39 rebounding deficit and a Nets defense that seemed to have its hands everywhere.
"We're disappointed, obviously," Carlisle said. "New Jersey is playing at an unbelievably high level right now."
SPURS-MAVS: A day after the technical foul-fest known as Game 2 of the West final, the Mavericks and Spurs insisted they are not going to let the officiating get to them in Game 3 tonight.
"It's stupid to even worry about referees. They have a tough job to do. Let them do it," Dallas guard Steve Nash said. "No matter what's happening, whether you're not getting a fair shake on a given night, there's nothing you can do about it. It's not deliberate.
"Even if it is deliberate, what are you going to do about it?"
In a series tied at a game apiece, the officiating has been the hot topic - and the debate has had a personal twist. The person people were wondering about after Game 2 was referee Joey Crawford.
The notoriously quick-tempered Crawford called four technicals in the first quarter of San Antonio's 119-106 victory, ejecting coach Don Nelson with two quick technicals during a timeout.
"I thought Joey was playing for a championship last night," Dallas guard Nick Van Exel said. "It's over with. Let's stop talking about it so you don't get me fined."
Players and coaches are not allowed to publicly criticize referees, so the easiest thing for them to do was to try to steer clear of the controversy.
NBA vice president of operations Stu Jackson, who oversees the referees, did the same.
"We're not commenting on it," Jackson said. "I don't have a reason why we're not commenting."
WIZARDS: Majority owner Abe Pollin says he never said anything negative about Michael Jordan, whose 31/2-year tenure with the team ended acrimoniously this month.
Pollin spoke after the draft lottery, after his team secured the 10th pick.
"We're not talking about the past," he said. "I'll only say one thing about the past. I never have said anything negative about Michael Jordan, and I never will and that closes the book on that."
WNBA
HOUSTON 75, SEATTLE 64: Sheryl Swoopes scored 27, and Cynthia Cooper added 11 and seven assists in her first game since coming out of retirement for the host Comets.
Sue Bird had 19 points for the Storm, which got within six with 8:20 left before Houston pulled away with an 11-0 run.
"I was a little nervous coming in. I didn't know how it would turn out but Sheryl played an excellent game," Cooper said.
REPLAY: The league will use instant replay to review certain plays during the final seconds of each half and overtime this season. The policy is the same as the one used by the NBA this season.
Officials will be allowed to use replay to determine whether time had expired before the ball left a shooter's hand on a made field goal.
It also will be used to determine if a foul was committed before time expired.
