Nets Could Face $7.5 Million Fine if They Move to Newark

New Jersey’s new governor, Christopher J. Christie, wants the Nets to pay a $7.5 million penalty if the team breaks its lease at the Izod Center and moves to the Prudential Center in Newark next season.

The suggestion was included in a 20-page document issued by the New Jersey Gaming, Sports and Entertainment Committee of the governor’s transition team. The report, compiled before the governor took office last Tuesday, focuses largely on the state’s casinos and horse racing, both of which, the committee said, were “broken.”

The report identified agreements made during previous administrations that the Christie Administration hopes to revise or undo. One is a plan created last year to allow the Nets to break their lease at the Izod Center two years early and move to the Prudential Center until their new arena in Brooklyn opens.

However, the committee said that the Nets “cannot leave the Meadowlands without paying the waiver amount. The impact upon suites and sponsorship dollars has to be part of the negotiations.”

The report did not specify how much the Nets pay to the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority in suite and sponsorship revenue. But according to their Izod Center lease, they do not need to pay a penalty if they terminate their lease early because they would stay in Newark less than five years. The team would need a waiver to break its lease, however.

In return, the Prudential Center would cede many of its nonsports events to the Izod Center, under the plan developed by Jerold L. Zaro, former Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s economics czar.

CAVALIERS 92, HEAT 91 LeBron James made two free throws after a scary tumble with 4.1 seconds left for the winning points, and Dwyane Wade missed a jumper at the buzzer as Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland beat host Miami.

Wade had 32 points but he missed two free throws with 41.2 seconds left, as the Heat went 1 of 6 from the line in the fourth quarter. (AP)

JAZZ 124, SUNS 115 Carlos Boozer had 21 points and 20 rebounds and the rookie Wesley Matthews scored 10 of his career-high 21 points in the fourth quarter for host Utah.

Steve Nash had 15 points and 15 assists, making him the eighth player in N.B.A. history to surpass 8,000 assists. (AP)

CELTICS 95, CLIPPERS 89 Rajon Rondo had 16 points and 12 assists, leading Boston past Los Angeles in a game played on a TD Garden floor that had to be continually wiped because of condensation. (AP) NUGGETS 104, BOBCATS 93 Chauncey Billups had 27 points and host Denver won its season-high seventh straight despite missing its leading scorer, Carmelo Anthony, who is out with a sprained ankle. (AP)

BULLS 98, SPURS 93 Derrick Rose shook off flulike symptoms to score 27 points and visiting Chicago again impressively beat a Western Conference team with a winning record after surprising Houston and Phoenix last week. (AP)

IN OTHER GAMES Zach Randolph had 23 points and 19 rebounds as Memphis won its 11th straight home game, 99-94 over Orlando. ... Josh Smith had 22 points and 10 rebounds as Atlanta ended a 10-game losing streak in Houston, 102-95. ... Danny Granger had 26 points to lead Indiana past host Philadelphia, 109-98.(AP)