The Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Milwaukee Bucks fixed all their Game 1 mistakes except for one, which was just good enough to get a win.

Gary Payton had 22 points, Sam Cassell added 21 and the Bucks overcame three missed free throws in the final 10.4 seconds and 11 botched foul shots among 20 attempts to defeat New Jersey 88-85 Tuesday night and even their first-round series at one game apiece.

"I'd rather we have just one problem than as many as we had after the first game," Toni Kukoc said.

Payton and everyone around him had a much better game than they did in the series opener, when Milwaukee fell behind by as many as 31.

This time, it was the Bucks who thrived on the fast break, dictated the tempo and played determined defense to seize the home-court advantage heading into Game 3 Thursday night at Milwaukee.

"That other game was a blowout because we didn't come to play. Today we came to play, and this is the way playoff basketball should be - tit-for-tat, going back and forth, and giving the fans a good game," Payton said.

Milwaukee finished at 45 percent from the line after shooting only 50 percent in Game 1. The Nets outrebounded the Bucks 45-34, but Payton and Cassell more than made up for it by carrying Milwaukee's offense in a game in which there were 30 lead changes and 18 ties, and neither team led by more than five points.

The Bucks still couldn't stop UC product Kenyon Martin, who had 22 points and 12 rebounds, but they prevented Jason Kidd from again dominating the point guard matchup, and they limited the Nets to just nine fast-break points.

"I don't think we're ever going to be equal with them in rebounding, so we'll just have to make up for it in some other part of the game," Bucks coach George Karl said.

Martin scored on a putback with 11.1 seconds left to cut the Bucks' lead to 86-85, and Jason Collins fouled Cassell before the Bucks inbounded the ball. Cassell made the free throw, and Milwaukee retained possession.

Tim Thomas was fouled intentionally with 10.4 seconds left, but he missed both free throws. A 78-percent foul shooter during the regular season, Thomas went just 3-for-8 from the line.

"It was nerve-racking, and it made the game a lot more tense than it had to be," Desmond Mason said.

The Nets inbounded to Kidd, who dribbled right, spun left and tried an 18-footer that hit the rim and missed. Desmond Mason grabbed the rebound and was fouled, missing the first and then making the second to keep New Jersey in it. But on the final play, Rodney Rogers tripped over Payton's foot while running to catch Lucious Harris' inbounds pass. The Bucks picked up the loose ball as the final buzzer sounded.

Payton let everyone know right away that he wouldn't have a repeat of his offensive struggles in Game 1, when he was held scoreless for the first 43 minutes. Payton connected on his first three shots - a jumper, a runner and a turnaround - as Milwaukee stayed right with the Nets from the beginning.

Timberwolves 119, Lakers 91

MINNEAPOLIS - Kevin Garnett was criticized in the playoffs last year for not being selfish enough. On Tuesday night, he showed he take over a game in the fourth quarter.

Garnett had 35 points and 20 rebounds, and he made four of his five field-goal attempts in the final period as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 119-91 to even their first-round series at one game each.

Troy Hudson added 37 points for Minnesota, which was eliminated in the first round the past six seasons.

Game 3 is Thursday night in Los Angeles.

A somber Shaquille O'Neal, who spent a day and a half in South Carolina for his grandfather's funeral, showed up about 90 minutes before tipoff and wasn't much of a factor, despite getting 27 points and 14 rebounds.

Kobe Bryant, the other half of the Lakers' dominant duo, had 27 points on 9-of-28 shooting - far below his sensational 39-point performance in Sunday's opener, when the Lakers won 117-98 to swipe home-court advantage from the Timberwolves.

Notes

TRAIL BLAZERS: Scottie Pippen's surgically repaired left knee hurt so much that he wasn't sure whether he will play Game 2 of Portland's first-round series against Dallas tonight. Pippen figures he'll be in pain throughout the playoffs.

"There's not enough time for me to heal and be able to play at the level that I play at," he said.

The Trail Blazers need a productive Pippen to avoid being swept from the first round for a third straight year. They've lost eight straight postseason games after an 96-86 defeat against the Mavericks on Saturday night. The series resumes Wednesday.

Pippen was 2-of-8 for five points in 32 minutes in Game 1. He had four rebounds, five assists and a team-high four turnovers while wearing a protective sleeve over his entire leg.

"I'm pretty sore right now," he said Tuesday.

KNICKS: Antonio McDyess had surgery on the broken left kneecap that sidelined him for all of his first season with New York.

The 6-foot-9 forward had a bone graft at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Dr. Norman Scott, the Knicks' team physician, said McDyess would be able to begin rehabilitation in about three weeks.