New Jersey scored just six points over the final 4 1/2 minutes, but the Knicks couldn't catch the Nets.
Martin led New Jersey with 19 points and 15 rebounds, Jason Kidd had 19 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Richard Jefferson had 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
Stephon Marbury scored 18 points, but he shot just 7 for 23 for New York. Neither Allan Houston nor Thomas was healthy enough to play.
Memphis music. Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley sang the national anthem before a sellout crowd for Memphis' first home playoff game in the franchise's nine-year history.
The crowd loved it, even though the Grizzlies went into Game 3 trailing the San Antonio Spurs by two games to none. This is, after all, a franchise that had never won more than 28 games in a season before coach-of-the-year Hubie Brown led them to 50 wins this year.
Heisley said he was cornered into singing when word got out about a pledge he made to his staff early in the year. He said he would perform the anthem if Memphis won 35 games.
Most improved. Trail Blazers forward Zach Randolph won the award for most improved player after more than doubling his averages for points and rebounds. "He has worked extremely hard to take his game to a higher level," Portland coach Maurice Cheeks said.
Randolph received 59 first-place votes and 379 points. The third-year player, who averaged 20.1 points and 10.5 rebounds, easily beat Cleveland forward Carlos Boozer (12, 166) in voting by writers and broadcasters.
Boozer was followed by Memphis forward James Posey (17, 137) and Utah forward Andrei Kirilenko (11, 101). 76ers third-year center Samuel Dalembert (3, 25) was eighth.
This and that. Chris Mullin was promoted to executive vice president of basketball operations by the Golden State Warriors. . . . Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal missed practice with a sinus infection but was listed as probable for tonight's Game 3 of Indiana's series with Boston. . . . The Los Angeles Lakers' Slava Medvedenko skipped practice for the second straight day because of a strained right Achilles tendon and was listed as questionable for tonight's Game 3 of the series against Houston.
