BOSTON (AP) – Vince Carter scored 21 points, Jason Kidd had 13 points and nine assists, and the New Jersey Nets spoiled the return of Paul Pierce with a 92-78 victory over Boston on Friday night, extending the Celtics’ franchise-record losing streak to 17.

Reserve Marcus Williams added 17 points for the Nets, who won their second straight following a four-game losing streak.

Delonte West led the Celtics with 21 points, while Al Jefferson had 13 points and 17 rebounds. Boston, which has also lost 13 in a row at home, last won Jan. 5 in Memphis.

Pierce struggled in his first game since Dec. 20, scoring nine points on 4-of-16 shooting.

Pierce missed 24 games with a stress reaction in his left foot and infected left elbow. He was supposed to return earlier this week, but an elbow infection delayed his return. After spending two nights in the hospital following a minor surgical procedure to relieve the swelling, Pierce was released Thursday.

The Celtics went 2-22 with Pierce out, and his return did little to change Boston’s fortune. The Celtics shot 35 percent from the field and committed 15 turnovers.

After Boston went on an 11-0 run spanning the second and third quarters to erase 42-31 deficit and tie it, Carter scored seven during a 17-4 New Jersey run that gave the Nets control.

The Nets’ surge started with an 8-0 run. They then followed Jefferson’s hook with a 9-2 spurt to blow it open. Kidd assisted on Antoine Wright’s off-balance layup in traffic to make it 59-46 with 4:19 left in the third.

After missing his first eight shots, Pierce finally connected on a 17-foot jumper to pull Boston to 61-50 with 3:12 left in the third.

By then it was too late, and the Celtics never got within 10. New Jersey extended its lead to 69-56 by the end of the third quarter and led by as many as 20 in the fourth.

Notes: Celtics forward Wally Szczerbiak was out with a sprained left ankle. … Boston is the only team other than New Jersey that Kidd has not recorded a triple-double against. … The Celtics play six of their next seven games on the road. … New Jersey’s Mikki Moore set a career high with nine made free throws. Moore scored 11 points and was 9-of-10 from the line.

AP-ES-02-09-07 2217EST