Cavaliers can’t put away Nets

CLEVELAND —  New Jersey? What exit?

The Nets aren’t ready to take the off ramp out of the NBA playoffs just yet.

Jason Kidd scored 20 points and the Nets somehow delayed an early vacation with an ugly 83-72 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday to pull within 3-2 in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Doomed by an inability to execute down the stretch in this series, the Nets built a 22-point lead in the third quarter and then hung on to force a Game 6 on Friday night in East Rutherford, N.J.

“We didn’t fly out to Cleveland to get beat,” Kidd said.

New Jersey won despite scoring only six points in the fourth quarter on one-for-15 shooting from the field. The Nets were four for 10 from the free-throw line in the last 12 minutes. Kidd missed five free throws in the last 56 seconds when the Nets were trying to put it away.

“The fourth quarter wasn’t pretty,” Kidd said. “Both teams were on fire defensively, not on the offensive side.”

Cleveland, which blew a chance to close out the series on its home floor, wasn’t much better in the fourth, shooting only three for 17 and scoring only 13. The Cavaliers played the last 56 seconds without LeBron James, who hurt his right knee while scrambling for a loose ball with Kidd.

James’ knee isn’t his only worry. His girlfriend, Savannah Brinson, who is expecting the couple’s second child next month, required medical attention and was taken to a hospital at halftime.

“I think she’s OK,” James said. “From the little information I have, she’s doing fine.”

Richard Jefferson had 15 points, Mikki Moore 14 and Vince Carter 12 points and 10 assists for the Nets.

“We’re a veteran ballclub and we’ve been in this situation before,” Kidd said.

James led the Cavaliers with 20 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 16.