Devin Harris' half-court heave gives Nets win

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Devin Harris hit an unbelievable lunging half-court shot at the buzzer and the New Jersey Nets snapped a season-high five-game losing streak with a 98-96 victory over the slumping Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night. With players from both teams surrounding the scorer’s table, the referees watched replays of Harris’ shot for nearly three minutes before signaling the basket was good. Seconds earlier, the 76ers seemingly nailed down the victory when Andre Iguodala sank the second of two free throws to give them a one-point lead with 1.8 seconds to play. The Nets quickly inbounded to Harris, who bobbled the ball after bumping with Iguodala and then heaved in the winner from in front of the scorer’s table. Harris finished with a game-high 39 points, but his 22nd shot of the night will be one Nets fans remember, especially if it helps key a run to the playoffs. Vince Carter added 10 points, including a driving layup with 13.2 seconds to play that tied the game at 95. Philadelphia worked for a final shot and gave the ball to Iguodala, who led it with 21 points. He didn’t begin his move down the left side of the lane until about 6 seconds remained on the clock and he got hit by Harris as he took the shot. Iguodala missed the first and made the second, setting the stage for Harris to steal the win and send the 76ers to their fourth straight loss, matching their season high. Andre Miller added 17 points and 10 assists for Philadelphia, while Willie Green and Thaddeus Young had 14 points apiece. Samuel Dalembert had 13 points and 10 rebounds as the 76ers lost to the Nets for the third time in as many games. The final 2 minutes seemed to last forever, with the Sixers opening a 92-89 lead on a rebound follow by Dalembert. Harris made a free throw to cut the margin to two points with 1:14 to go. After a miss by Miller, Bobby Simmons hit a 3-pointer from the left wing with 35.3 seconds to play and was fouled, putting the Nets ahead 93-92. However, he missed the free throw. Marreese Speights, who had five points, gave Philadelphia a 94-93 lead with a 10-footer with 26.4 seconds to go. Harris then committed a horrible turnover, getting caught off his feet and throwing a pass directly to Miller with 20.6 seconds left. The Nets had to foul Miller twice to get him to the line, but he only made the second of two to give Philadelphia a 95-93 lead and set the stage for the wild ending. – AP