Nets, Pistons post lowest-scoring first half ever
| Fewest Playoff Field
Goals
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19 -- New Jersey at Detroit,
5-3-04
19 -- Portland vs. San Antonio, 6-4-99
20 -- New Orleans at Miami, 4-21-04
21 -- Utah vs. Chicago, 6-7-98
21 -- Miami vs. Chicago, 5-24-97
21 -- Phoenix at Seattle, 4-27-97
21 -- Cleveland vs. New York, 5-1-95
21 -- New Jersey at New York, 5-1-94
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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- New Jersey and Detroit played the
lowest-scoring first half in NBA playoff history Monday night, combining for
just 62 points as the Pistons held a 37-25 lead at halftime.
The old record of 63 combined points had been reached three times, most
recently in Game 3 of the NBA Finals last June when San Antonio led New Jersey
33-30 at halftime.
New Jersey shot just 9-for-33 from the field (27 percent) and committed
nine turnovers, scoring 14 points in the opening quarter and 11 in the second
period. Starters Kenyon
Martin and Richard
Jefferson were both 1-for-5 from the field, and reserve Rodney
Rogers was 0-for-5.
Detroit shot a respectable 47 percent (15-for-32) but committed eight
turnovers, including three 24-second violations in the first quarter.
The record for fewest points in any half of a playoff game (since the
inception of the shot clock in 1954-55) is 60, set in the second half of an
Atlanta-New York game in 1999 and matched three years later by Boston and
Detroit.
The regular-season record for fewest combined points at halftime is 57. The
record for any half is 51.