NBA  FINAL           1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH     TOTAL
                     --- --- --- ---     -----
     NEW JERSEY       27  14  24  25       90
     CLEVELAND        27  19  27  24       97    FINAL


 HIGH SCORERS:  NJN - STEPHON MARBURY 27, KEITH VAN HORN 20, KENDALL GILL
                      11
                CLE - SHAWN KEMP 27, BREVIN KNIGHT 16, BOB SURA 13


 HIGH REBOUND:  NJN - JAMIE FEICK 13, TWO PLAYERS WITH 7
                CLE - SHAWN KEMP 15, ANDREW DECLERCQ 9


 HIGH ASSISTS:  NJN - KEITH VAN HORN 4, TWO PLAYERS WITH 3
                CLE - BOB SURA 7, ANDRE MILLER 7


          ATT:  16,777
                                                                        

Extended Box


NEW JERSEY (90) AT CLEVELAND (97)


NEW JERSEY
                                               REBOUNDS
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===


BURRELL           F    32    4-5      0-0      0   7   7    3   4   2   2   10
VAN HORN          F    40    6-14     7-7      1   6   7    4   4   3   4   20
FEICK             C    40    2-11     2-3      7   6  13    0   3   1   3    6
GILL              G    35    4-15     3-4      2   2   4    3   2   4   1   11
MARBURY           G    37    7-25    13-15     1   1   2    1   4   0   6   27
G MURESAN               7    0-2      1-2      1   0   1    0   1   0   1    1
NEWMAN                 16    0-3      4-4      0   1   1    2   2   1   0    4
DOUGLAS                18    2-4      0-0      1   3   4    2   1   2   4    5
HARRIS                  8    2-2      0-0      0   0   0    1   1   0   0    4
CAGE                    7    1-1      0-0      1   0   1    0   0   0   0    2
MCILVAINE             DNP - COACH'S DECISION
PERRY                 DNP - COACH'S DECISION


TOTALS                240   28-82    30-35    14  26  40   16  22  13  21   90
                            (.341)   (.857) TEAM REBS: 8  TOTAL TO: 22(25 PTS)


CLEVELAND
                                               REBOUNDS
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===


HENDERSON         F    14    1-8      0-0      1   0   1    2   0   2   4    2
KEMP              F    35   10-18     7-8      4  11  15    0   5   1   5   27
DECLERCQ          C    31    6-10     0-0      2   7   9    2   5   0   3   12
KNIGHT            G    27    8-11     0-0      0   2   2    6   5   1   3   16
SURA              G    30    2-7      8-8      1   3   4    7   3   3   2   13
PERSON                 36    4-11     0-0      0   4   4    3   2   2   2    9
BRYANT                 10    0-1      0-0      2   3   5    0   1   0   2    0
LANGDON                16    2-2      0-0      0   1   1    0   3   1   1    5
FERRY                  20    2-7      2-2      2   2   4    2   5   2   2    6
MILLER                 21    3-6      0-2      1   2   3    7   2   2   3    7
BENJAMIN              DNP - COACH'S DECISION
STACK                 DNP - COACH'S DECISION


TOTALS                240   38-81    17-20    13  35  48   29  31  14  27   97
                            (.469)   (.850) TEAM REBS: 9  TOTAL TO: 27(30 PTS)


   NEW JERSEY         27   14   24   25  -   90
   CLEVELAND          27   19   27   24  -   97


BLOCKED SHOTS: NEW JERSEY -  VAN HORN, HARRIS, FEICK. CLEVELAND - 
DECLERCQ 3, BRYANT 2, PERSON, SURA, KEMP, KNIGHT.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: NEW JERSEY 4-15 (.267), BURRELL 2-3, VAN HORN 1-1, GILL
0-3, MARBURY 0-6, DOUGLAS 1-2. CLEVELAND 4-9 (.444), HENDERSON 0-1, SURA
1-1, PERSON 1-5, LANGDON 1-1, MILLER 1-1.
TECHNICALS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: BENNETT SALVATORE, TOMMY NUNEZ, RODNEY MOTT.
A - 16,777. T - 2:11.
                                                                        

Box Score


NEW JERSEY (90)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Burrell         32   4-5   0-0   0-7  3  4   10
Van Horn        40  6-14   7-7   1-7  4  4   20
Feick           40  2-11   2-3  7-13  0  3    6
Gill            35  4-15   3-4   2-4  3  2   11
Marbury         37  7-25 13-15   1-2  1  4   27
G Muresan        7   0-2   1-2   1-1  0  1    1
Newman          16   0-3   4-4   0-1  2  2    4
Douglas         18   2-4   0-0   1-4  2  1    5
Harris           8   2-2   0-0   0-0  1  1    4
Cage             7   1-1   0-0   1-1  0  0    2
Mcilvaine      DNP - coach's decision
Perry          DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         240 28-82 30-35 14-40 16 22   90
_______________________________________________


Percentages: FG-.341, FT-.857. 3-Point Goals:
4-15, .267 (Burrell 2-3, Van Horn 1-1, Gill 0-3,
Marbury 0-6, Douglas 1-2). Team rebounds: 8.
Blocked shots: 3 (Van Horn, Harris, Feick).
Turnovers: 22 (Marbury 6, Douglas 4, Van Horn 4,
Feick 3, Burrell 2, G Muresan, Gill). Steals: 13
(Gill 4, Van Horn 3, Burrell 2, Douglas 2, Feick,
Newman).


CLEVELAND (97)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Henderson       14   1-8   0-0   1-1  2  0    2
Kemp            35 10-18   7-8  4-15  0  5   27
Declercq        31  6-10   0-0   2-9  2  5   12
Knight          27  8-11   0-0   0-2  6  5   16
Sura            30   2-7   8-8   1-4  7  3   13
Person          36  4-11   0-0   0-4  3  2    9
Bryant          10   0-1   0-0   2-5  0  1    0
Langdon         16   2-2   0-0   0-1  0  3    5
Ferry           20   2-7   2-2   2-4  2  5    6
Miller          21   3-6   0-2   1-3  7  2    7
Benjamin       DNP - coach's decision
Stack          DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         240 38-81 17-20 13-48 29 31   97
_______________________________________________


Percentages: FG-.469, FT-.850. 3-Point Goals:
4-9, .444 (Henderson 0-1, Sura 1-1, Person 1-5,
Langdon 1-1, Miller 1-1). Team rebounds: 9.
Blocked shots: 9 (Declercq 3, Bryant 2, Person,
Sura, Kemp, Knight). Turnovers: 27 (Kemp 5,
Henderson 4, Declercq 3, Knight 3, Miller 3,
Bryant 2, Ferry 2, Person 2, Sura 2, Langdon).
Steals: 14 (Sura 3, Ferry 2, Henderson 2, Miller
2, Person 2, Kemp, Knight, Langdon).
____________________________________________
New Jersey         27   14   24   25  -   90
Cleveland          27   19   27   24  -   97
____________________________________________
Technical fouls: None. Flagrant fouls: None.  A:
16,777. T: 2:11. Officials: Bennett Salvatore,
Tommy Nunez, Rodney Mott.
                                                                        

Game Story


CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Stephon Marbury kept shooting and the New
Jersey Nets kept losing. 


Marbury's aggressive offense hurt the Nets down the stretch and
allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to hold on for a 97-90 victory,
giving coach Randy Wittman his first win. 


Marbury scored 27 points but launched 25 shots, making seven.
The point guard made 13-of-15 free throws but handed out just
one assist and committed six turnovers, making some poor
decisions with the game on the line. 


"I tried to make something happen," Marbury said.  "Nothing
positive happened. I had the shots but they just didn't go in." 


"We didn't have the game under control," Nets coach Don Casey
said.  "We were not running a second and third option.  We were
just stagnant." 


The explosive fourth-year guard led the league in scoring and
assists during the preseason and was 15-of-34 from the field in
Tuesday's season-opening 119-112 loss to Indiana. 


Shawn Kemp had 27 points and 15 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who
lost at New York in their season opener.  Kemp had a crucial
offensive rebound and two foul shots that gave Cleveland a 95-88
lead with 1:23 to go. 


"He was huge, absolutely huge, both from scoring and from
rebounding the basketball," Wittman said.  "Defensively he was
the guy underneath each time Marbury or (Keith) Van Horn tried
to break us down.  Shawn came in with his lunch pail today and
did yeoman work." 


Wittman replaced the fired Mike Fratello during the offseason.
After spending several seasons as an assistant with Minnesota,
he made his coaching debut Tuesday in a 92-84 loss at New York.
Kemp was limited by foul trouble to 17 points in that contest. 


"Last night I got two quick fouls," said Kemp, who made 10-of-18
shots.  "That threw me out of rhythm.  I felt pretty good before
the game tonight.  I was so mad at myself about last night." 


"The difference between last night and tonight was that we
played with a purpose," Wittman said. "Last night the guys
played hard but played like they didn't know what they were
doing.  It was first-game confusion and I told them I would
write it off at that." 


Cleveland's Brevin Knight scored 16 points, including a pair of
clutch baskets late in the game.  Bob Sura added 13 points and
Andrew DeClercq 12 and nine rebounds for the Cavs, who shot 47
percent (38-of-81). 


Van Horn scored 20 points and Jamie Feick grabbed 13 rebounds
for New Jersey, which shot just 34 percent (28-of-82) and was
outrebounded, 48-40. 


Marbury scored eight points in 66 seconds to cut a six-point
deficit to 87-85 with 3:37 to go.  He drew another foul but
missed the second attempt, leaving the Cavs with an 87-86 lead. 


Sura made two free throws and Marbury hit a jumper before
Knight's 16-footer stretched the lead to 91-88 with 1:58 to
play.  Marbury tried to drive past Knight and was whistled for
an offensive foul. 


Kemp fought for the rebound of Sura's missed layup and drew a
foul with 1:23 remaining.  His two free throws preceeded a
missed layup by Marbury and DeClercq dunked at the other end for
a 95-88 lead with 50 seconds left. Another miss by Marbury
sealed New Jersey's fate. 


"Stephon had the ball in his hands when time was running out,"
Casey said.  "It was our fault.  We were not fluid.  We had him
in the middle and the (opposing) team was defending him." 


Kemp scored 11 and Knight 10 in the first half, giving the Cavs
a 46-41 lead that could have been bigger if they had taken good
care of the ball.  Kemp added 10 more in the third quarter to
widen the lead to 73-65. 


"We had 16 turnovers at the half, which kind of cut our throats
a little bit." Wittman said. 
                                                                        

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