The noise was still deafening, a hostile screech from every corner of the Fleet Center, when Richard Jefferson floated toward the basket for his first shot of the night. But Jefferson clanged his dunk attempt off the rim, to the delight of the crowd.

The reverberating sounds did not rattle the 22-year-old Jefferson. In the noisy, unfriendly confines ? described in detail in recent days by Nets Coach Byron Scott ? Jefferson shrugged off the noise and was the calmest man on the court.

"Sometimes when the crowd is loud here, you can't tell if they're cheering for us, cheering for them," Jefferson said. "You're just having fun. It's just loud and you have a good time. This is what it's all about. That's the most fun part of the game, having the crowd go crazy, booing, yelling. That's what we thrive on."

Tonight, with tempers on edge all over, Jefferson emerged again with a near-perfect performance. He hit every shot he took in the first half after the missed dunk, and the Nets followed, methodically building a lead. By the end of the night, Jefferson had 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, and the Nets had a 94-76 victory to take a three-games-to-none lead in the four-of-seven-game series.