Nets' late run sets up 3-2 series advantage

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- After letting a 20-point lead drop to one, the New Jersey Nets used a 20-1 run to make certain it wouldn't happen again.

Taking control of the game with stunning quickness, the Nets pulled away from the Boston Celtics in the fourth quarter to a 103-92 victory Wednesday night that gave them a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

With one more win, the Nets will be going for their first title since the days when they played with a red, white and blue basketball.

Jason Kidd was the star of the show once again for the Nets, who got out to a big early lead for the third consecutive game. Kidd finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, and his jumper with 9:30 remaining started New Jersey on the game-clinching run.

By the time Keith Van Horn ended the 20-1 burst with two 3-pointers, the Nets had turned a 74-73 lead into a 94-73 advantage with 5:36 left. The Nets began celebrating, but not too emphatically.

The former ABA franchise still needs one more victory to make it to the NBA Finals for the first time since entering the league in 1976. They'll go for it Friday night at Boston in Game 6.

KINGS-LAKERS: Mike Bibby stayed up late, rehashing the biggest shot of his life with his girlfriend, mother and brothers. When he finally went to bed, however, he had a sound, dreamless sleep.

The euphoria from Game 5 of the Western Conference finals had died down by Wednesday afternoon, when Bibby and the rest of the Sacramento Kings were reminded that although they've got the Los Angeles Lakers on the brink of elimination, it won't mean a thing unless they can give the two-time champions one last push.

"It's hard to think of it that way, but we really haven't done anything," said Bibby, whose 22-foot jumper with 8.2 seconds left gave Sacramento a 92-91 victory. "Nobody's going to be satisfied with three wins. "

Game 6 is Friday night at Staples Center.

-- From wire reports