EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Peja Stojakovic's reputation as a

scorer is well established, while new teammate Fred Jones has only

recently started to carve out a name for himself.

Together, the two are turning into a potent one-two punch for

Indiana.

Stojakovic and Jones scored 22 points apiece and the Pacers beat

the New Jersey Nets 101-91 Sunday night to snap a six-game road

losing streak.

Two nights earlier in a 117-112 overtime loss at home to

Atlanta, Jones tied a career high with 31 points while Stojakovic

had a season-high 34. In the 11 games since Stojakovic was traded

to the Pacers for Ron Artest, Indiana (28-25) is 7-4.

"We're coming together more, learning each other's games a

little better and getting a good feel for each other," Jones said.

"We're having fun out there."

In his first 20 games this season, Jones averaged 6.6 points per

game. That number has nearly doubled since then, making Jones a

contender for the NBA's sixth man award.

Indiana's reserves keyed the effort against New Jersey, which

was hurt by the absence of Vince Carter, who left the game with a

hamstring injury late in the first quarter and did not return.

"Obviously we caught a break when he went out because they're

not the same team without Vince Carter," Pacers coach Rick

Carlisle said. "Our bench was huge. This was one of those nights

when we needed everybody to play well, and they did."

Six Pacers scored in double figures, including Jones and fellow

subs David Harrison (12 points) and Danny Granger (13 points). Jeff

Foster grabbed 16 rebounds for Indiana, two off his season high.

Jones scored seven of the Pacers' nine points in a span of 2:30

in the fourth quarter after the Nets had whittled a 15-point

third-quarter deficit down to five after Jason Kidd's 3-pointer and

driving scoop shot.

With Indiana clinging to an 85-80 lead, Jones buried a

3-pointer, Anthony Johnson sank a jumper and Jones scored on

consecutive driving layups to make it 92-80. The Nets never got

closer than seven points after that.

"It started when we gave up 36 points in the second quarter,"

said Kidd, who narrowly missed his 72nd career triple-double with

19 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. "We were playing uphill

from that point. We got it down to five, and I thought I had a good

look on a 3 that went in-and-out, and they came down and hit a 3

and the rest was academic."

Richard Jefferson led the Nets (31-24) with 23 points, but New

Jersey looked lost at times in the first half without Carter. New

Jersey had lost just once in its last 15 home games and had won six

of its last seven overall.

Now, the Nets have to hope Carter's injury is not serious. It

was described by the team as a sore hamstring that will be

evaluated Monday. New Jersey plays at Atlanta on Monday night then

travels to Minnesota for a game Wednesday.

"It just tightened up," Carter said. "When I went up, I just

felt a grab and I didn't want it to tear. We're hoping it's just a

cramp and I can play tomorrow."

The last time the Nets went on the road with Carter fighting a

gimpy back, they went 0-4 on a West Coast swing in late January.

The Pacers are no strangers to injury woes and have been playing

without Austin Croshere, Jamaal Tinsley and Jermaine O'Neal for

most of the last month. That plus the spillover from the loss to

lowly Atlanta made Sunday's win sweeter for Carlisle.

"This was really big because of the way the Atlanta game got

away from us," he said. "This was a great response to a

disappointing loss. You have to give the guys credit for being

resilient."

^Notes:@ Nets C Nenad Krstic, who was 11-for-11 from the field

Friday night against New York, missed his first three shots badly

and finished with four points in 24 minutes. ... Nets F Clifford

Robinson played in his 1,303rd career game, tying him with Elvin

Hayes for ninth on the NBA's career list. He scored 11 points,

giving him 19,190 for his career and passing Gail Goodrich for 36th

place on the NBA's career list. ... Croshere (concussion) missed

his 10th straight game and Tinsley (sore right elbow) missed his

12th straight for Indiana. The Pacers were also without O'Neal, who

suffered a torn left groin on Jan. 24. ... James Gandolfini, star

of HBO's "The Sopranos," took in the game from courtside seats

next to the Nets bench.