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NEW YORK -- After three long games on the road, the Brooklyn Nets made quick work of Cleveland back at home. Paul Pierce scored 17 of his 22 points in a flawless first quarter, and the Nets pulled away in the second on the way to their 12th straight home victory, 108-97 over the Cavaliers on Friday night. "It was great for him to come out and get us started and get us going, and then that second group kind of finished it off," Nets guard Deron Williams said. Joe Johnson added 14 points for the Nets, who played three straight overtime games on their road trip, losing the last two of them. But things were much easier inside Barclays Center, where they won for the 19th time in their last 21 games. "It sure beats us getting booed earlier in the year," Pierce said. "So were playing well here. We feel comfortable on our home turf." The Nets are hoping to open the playoffs here, but still have work to do to catch either Toronto or Chicago for home-court advantage in the first round. They are 2 1/2 games behind the Raptors for first place in the Atlantic Division and 1 1/2 behind the Bulls for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference. The Nets were without Kevin Garnett for a 15th straight game because of back spasms and Andrei Kirilenko for a third in a row because of a sprained left ankle, but had six players score in double figures and shot 55 per cent from the field. They scored the first 12 points of the second quarter to break away from a 29-all tie, and Cleveland never put much of a dent in the lead. Brooklyn had a 48-18 advantage in bench points in improving to 28-12 since Jan. 1, best in the East. "Thats who we are. If were going to go anywhere in this playoffs, were a team full of depth. Weve got a number of guys that can beat you on any given night, its not really surrounded around one particular guy," Pierce said. "Tonight I was our leading scorer, but then it can be somebody else tomorrow, the next game and thats what makes us so dangerous." Luol Deng and Dion Waiters each scored 20 points for the Cavaliers, who had won three in a row. They had pulled off a pair of big fourth-quarter comebacks during the win streak, beating Detroit on Wednesday on Waiters jumper as time expired, but there was no run in this one. "Ive come to the conclusion of expecting more from us. Thats whats disappointing," Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. "Its disappointing to play the way we did tonight. Its tough to swallow." Williams and Alan Anderson each scored 13 points for Brooklyn, which improved to 11-4 this month and can tie the franchise record for most victories in March by beating Minnesota here Sunday night. Williams made a 3-pointer and Pierce hit two straight for a 9-0 Brooklyn lead, and Pierce was 4 for 4 before the first was half over. But Spencer Hawes and Deng led a solid finish to the quarter that allowed Cleveland to tie it at 29. The Nets were even better to open the second, scoring 12 straight to make it 41-29 on Andersons 3-pointer. The lead reached 17 on a 3-pointer by Pierce with 2:05 remaining, and Brooklyn took a 61-50 lead into halftime. Six players had at least four points in the quarter. Cleveland cut Brooklyns 16-point lead in the third in half by the end of the quarter, but the Nets quickly regained control by opening the fourth with an 8-1 spurt for a 15-point cushion. "Weve got to do a better job coming out in the first quarter," Waiters said, "not always falling down by a big margin." NOTES: Brooklyns Jorge Gutierrez made some money and lost some Friday. Shortly after the Nets signed him to a multiyear deal after the expiration of his second 10-day contract, the rookie point guard was fined $15,000 by the NBA for making excessive contact above the shoulders when he fouled Charlottes Cody Zeller on Wednesday. ... After opening the season against each other with the Cavs win in Cleveland on Oct. 30, they will finish things off in the same spot on April 16. Lions Jerseys China . The 31-year-old Spain midfielder hasnt played since Madrid lost in the Copa del Rey final to Atletico Madrid in May due to back and foot injuries. Cheap Detroit Lions Jerseys . The 2010 batting champ showed what he can do when hes mostly healthy. Gonzalez homered, doubled and singled in his return to the lineup, and the Colorado Rockies snapped a five-game losing streak with a 13-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. http://www.cheapdetroitlionsjerseysauthentic.com/ . MLB executive Joe Torre ruled on Tuesday nights game at Wrigley Field that was called after 4 1-2 innings. The Cubs were declared the winners by a 2-0 score. Now, it is instead a suspended game that will resume at 4:05 p. Cheap Authentic Lions Jerseys .ca. Hi Kerry, Welcome back! Im sure you heard Peter Forsbergs comments last week regarding Canadian referees in the gold medal game. Seems to me that he was questioning the integrity and impartiality. Wholesale Lions Jerseys .500. The Jets have now won nine of their last 11, and five of their last six road games. With the win they moved to within two points of Vancouver in the west, the Canucks holding down the eighth spot. Vancouver lost in Boston, while the other big game saw Dallas win in Phoenix.DALLAS -- John Tavares scored with 1:24 to go and Brock Nelson added an empty-netter, leading the streaking New York Islanders to a 4-2 victory over the slumping Dallas Stars on Sunday. Kyle Okposo had two goals in New Yorks fourth consecutive victory. The Islanders (18-22-7) also have won seven straight road games. The Islanders rallied past the Stars after trailing 2-0 after one period for the second time in a week. This time, New York scored three goals in the final 4:16. Dallas (20-18-7) has lost six in a row for the first time since March 2011. Ray Whitney and Sergei Gonchar scored first-period goals for the Stars against goalie Kevin Poulin, who finished with 29 saves. Tavares got a cross-ice pass from Calvin DeHaan and beat Dan Ellis from the right faceoff circle for his 21st goal of the season, including four against the Stars. Ellis scrambled to get back across the goal, and tried in vain to glove the puck before it went into the short side of the net. Okposo scored in the second, and tied it at 15:44 of the third with a drive from the top of the right faceoff circle. Ellis stopped 27 shots. The Stars first goal was at 11:45 of the first period. Vernon Fiddler hustled in to pick up the puck against the back boards, and pushed it acrooss to Alex Chiasson.dddddddddddd He passed to Whitney skating into the left circle, and his shot went in past Poulins left leg. Gonchar then intercepted a pass inside the blue line, skated to the top of the right circle and fired a shot inside the left post at 18:12. It was the first goal of Gonchars 19th NHL season. Ellis stopped nine shots in the period to hold the Islanders scoreless. His best saves came on Thomas Vaneks drive from the left circle and Cal Clutterbucks short-handed breakaway. The Islanders began their comeback in the second period. They nearly scored 9 minutes in, but Ellis stopped Colin McDonalds tip from in front of the net. Okposo then broke through for New York at 10:47 of the second, scoring from low in the right circle. Assists went to Vanek and Tavares, who combined for three goals and four assists in the first meeting between the teams. NOTES: In last Mondays game, Tavares tied a career high with five points. Vanek added two assists, but Okposo missed the game because of the birth of his first child. The line totalled three goals and three assists Sunday. . Vanek has at least one point in 11 of his last 12 games, with a total of 17 points. . The Stars six consecutive losses all have been against Eastern Conference teams. ' ' '