At the trading deadline, the New Jersey Nets showed confidence in Vince Carter, opting not to deal him but to rather tell him to step up as a team leader.

“We’re not going to move him (Carter). Not before the trade deadline, anyway,” Nets’ General Manager Rod Thorn said of Carter. “I’m not saying we’ll never move anybody, but we’re not going to move him (now).”

Tonight Carter proved his place on the team, shooting for 24 points with 9 rebounds and 5 assists in a 102-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Richard Jefferson helped as well, scoring 36 buckets and making 2 steals. Another contributing factor was point guard Marcus Williams, who has been filling in at the one guard since the trade of Jason Kidd. New acquisition Devin Harris isn’t quite healthy yet, he’s on the DL with an ankle sprain. In 34 minutes of play, Williams scored 8 points with 13 assists.

“They were good and they’ve only played a few games with Marcus Williams,” Danny Granger of the Indiana Pacers said. “He’s not Jason Kidd, obviously, but I think he’s going to be a good point guard. When you have wings like Jefferson and Carter, you are always going to be in the game.”

The Pacers put up a fight in the game thanks to Danny Granger who scored 29 points, Mike Dunleavy who had 19, and Troy Murphy who had 13 points with 5 rebounds.

“We just couldn’t knock down the open shots we had,” Pacers coach Jim O’Brien said. “Maybe we were a little leg weary from the back-to-back games.”

The Nets started Nenad Kristic at center tonight. On Friday New Jersey released center Jamaal Magloire, who had played in only 24 games this season.