EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. AP) - If the preseason is any indication, the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets are ready to make another run at their first NBA title.

Richard Jefferson scored 23 points and wowed the home fans with two dunks on lob passes from Jason Kidd as the Nets completed a 6-1 preseason with a 106-77 rout of the New York Knicks on Friday night.

"It's a nice way to end the preseason," coach Byron Scott said. "I thought our guys came out totally focused on the things we wanted to do on the defensive end. I was very pleased with the way everybody played, particularly the starters."

Backup forward Aaron Williams added nine of his 15 points during a 21-4 second-quarter run, and Kidd had nine points, six assists and three steals.

Shandon Anderson had 18 points to lead the Knicks (4 (4)-.

"We had a bad game," Knicks center Kurt Thomas said. "We were 4-4 in the preseason. We're .500. That's acceptable. It's not like we didn't get any wins in the preseason. We have something to build from."

The Knicks are also going to get some help down the road.

Swingman Latrell Sprewell was on the bench in street clothes for the first time in the preseason. He was allowed to rejoin the team earlier this week after being banished for failing to report a broken hand before training camp.

Sprewell is not expected to be ready to play for about another two weeks.

The regular season will start on Wednesday with the Knicks at Detroit and the Nets at home against Atlanta.

"Our No. 1 goal was to get through the preseason without guys getting hurt," Scott said. "We were able to accomplish that."

The Knicks weren't so lucky. They lost new star forward Antonio McDyess for the season with a fractured kneecap.

The Nets, who were swept in the NBA Finals by the three-time defending champion Lakers, were impressive in their final tuneup.

They held the Knicks to 30.5 percent shooting from the field, limiting Allan Houston to 4-for-18 and 11 points. New York was held under 20 points in two of the four quarters.

"We picked up our defense tonight," said Jefferson, who was 10-for-16 from the field. "We tried to change it up. That was our biggest thing tonight, the way we got after it defensively."

Kidd put on a show during the third quarter for the crowd of 8,790 at the Continental Airlines Arena.

Seconds after Kerry Kittles hit a 3-pointer to put New Jersey ahead 68-55, Kidd stepped in front of an inbounds pass from Charlie Ward and tapped it away from Clarence Weatherspoon. As soon as he gained control of the ball, Kidd made a no-look alley-oop pass from his hip that found Jefferson coming down the middle for a slam.

It brought the crowd to their feet and even Scott grinned on the bench.

"You know they are going to make a play like that when they get a steal in the open court," said Weatherspoon, who added 11 points. "They push the ball hard and they throw it up to their big guards and they get it."

Jefferson and Kidd hooked up on a less-sensational slam later in the quarter as the Nets built an 85-63 lead.

New York led by six late in the first quarter, but Williams and Lucious Harris combined for 17 straight points to give the Nets the lead for good.

Kittles and Kenyon Martin added 12 points apiece for New Jersey.

Ward added 14 for the Knicks.