East Rutherford, N.J. ? The New Jersey Nets shook off the playoff jitters with a few things even more valuable in the postseason than a half-court offense Jason Kidd, a great defense and a big dose of self assurance.

Kidd had 20 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, Kenyon Martin shut down Jermaine O’Neal and Indiana’s inside game and the cocky Nets beat the Pacers 95-79 Monday night to even their best-of-five first-round series at a game apiece.

new jersey guard Kenyon Martin reacts after dunking during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night in East Rutherford, N.J. Martin scored 19 points as the Nets beat the Pacers, 95-79, to even the series at 1-1.

“Jason had that slight edge tonight and I think everyone on our team knew this was a must-win,” Nets coach Byron Scott said.

“I don’t know if guys wanted to admit it, but we knew we had to win this game and Jason came out with a different attitude. He was pressing at both ends of the court. Kenyon started it off and everyone pretty much followed.”

Now this series is a best-of-three, starting with Game 3 on Friday at Indiana’s Conseco Fieldhouse. Game 4 is a week from Tuesday.

Blame the gap on television, at least that’s what NBA commissioner David Stern did before the game Monday night.

If a fifth game is necessary, it would be played on May 2.

“We understand that all the pressure is on us in Game 3 with the home-court advantage,” said Reggie Miller, who led the Pacers with 26 points. “They did what they had to do to tie the series and shift all the pressure back to us. It’s up to us to respond.”

Heading into Game 2, the pressure was on the Nets after losing the home-court advantage with an 89-83 loss Saturday.

However, the Nets had a lot of heroes in addition to Kidd. Playing with a sore right wrist, Martin was a big one.

Scott walked up to him early in the day and asked him if he wanted to guard O’Neal, who scored 30 points Saturday.

Martin gladly accepted.

“I just didn’t let him catch the ball in his sweet spot, in the right blocks,” Martin said. “If he got it, I contested every shot. The shots he was making in the first game, he wasn’t making tonight.”

Martin also added 19 points, and Keith Van Horn, who had 10 points in Game 1, scored 17. Backup center Aaron Williams added 15, including six in a game-breaking run early in the fourth quarter.

“They came out with more determination,” said Pacers forward Ron Artest, who was 1-of-11 from the field. “They wanted it more than we did. Anytime we fought and got it close, it seemed like they just wanted it more.”

It was New Jersey’s first playoff win since beating the Knicks in overtime on May 4, 1994. The Nets have played only five postseason games since then.

The big key was the Nets defense, which frustrated O’Neal, limiting him to 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting.

The Nets said they would double-team the 23-year-old All-Star forward every time he touched the ball after the series opener, but they didn’t.

Fearing the double-team though, O’Neal settled for jump shots. He didn’t make many.

“I don’t think they did anything to alter my game,” O’Neal said. “I just missed shots. One thing I can do is promise I don’t shoot that way in the next game.”

O’Neal wasn’t the only Indiana big guy who struggled. Brad Miller had only 10 points after scoring 18 in Game 1, and Artest finished with four, eight less than Saturday.

The Pacers’ frontline outscored the Nets’ frontline 60-31 in Game 1. The Nets had the advantage Monday night, 38-26.

The Nets’ defense and Kidd helped take control late in the second quarter.

Down 35-34 after Reggie Miller hit two free throws, the Nets closed the half with a 15-3 spurt. Kidd had 10 points, assisting on a dunk by Williams that started the spurt and a fast-break 3-pointer by Van Horn.

Indiana closed to 53-50 early in the third quarter, but Kidd took over again, hitting two baskets and setting up another by Kerry Kittles.

Leading by a dozen after three quarter, the Nets used a 16-8 spurt to open a 20-point lead that basically put the game away.

“We’re not as happy as we would have been had we walked out of here with two wins,” O’Neal said. “They came out and played tough and we didn’t. Now it’s a series. We’ll see which team is tougher for 48 minutes.”

Notes: The last time the Nets and Pacers met in the playoffs was in 1972 in the ABA championship. The Pacers won in six games. … NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton sat next to Stern. Walton wore a tie-dye shirt. The commissioner wore a suit.