Kidd, voted in as a starter for the All-Star game, has been discouraged with the Nets' recent woes. They entered the night having lost three straight and 13 of 16 and Kidd has stayed put while Shaquille O'Neal, Shawn Marion and Pau Gasol have been traded.
But struggling Charlotte proved to be just what Kidd and the Nets needed.
New Jersey was never threatened, building a 22-11 lead and withstanding every Charlotte mini-run. Kidd, who shot 7-for-14, hit a 3-pointer with 5:56 left to put the Nets ahead 91-77.
Vince Carter added 18 points and nine rebounds and Josh Boone had 12 points and 11 rebounds points for New Jersey, which hit 9 of 16 3s and dominated the glass after entering the night a season-worst nine games under .500.
Gerald Wallace had 21 points for Charlotte in his return after missing the last two games with a strained right foot. Jason Richardson added 17 points and rookie Jared Dudley scored 15 in the Bobcats' fifth straight loss.
Kidd grabbed five rebounds in the game's first 4 minutes and finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and three assists in a dominant first quarter as the Nets built a 24-18 lead.
New Jersey led by as many as 11 in the second quarter before the Bobcats rallied to 46-41 at halftime behind Richardson's 13 points.
Kidd had his 99th career double by late in the third quarter, and his alley-oop pass to Sean Williams made it 67-58 with 2:31 left.
Saying before the game that nobody is safe from changes because of their poor stretch, Nets coach Lawrence Frank shuffled the starting lineup. Forward Nenad Krstic, in his fourth game back from knee surgery, started in place of Williams.
Krstic was limited to two points and five rebounds in 16 minutes, but the Nets' frontcourt was stellar.
Charlotte's starting big men, Emeka Okafor and Nazr Mohammed, combined to shoot 7-for-23. While Okafor and Mohammed had 28 combined rebounds, New Jersey held a 50-43 advantage on the glass.
The Bobcats played without reserve guards Jeff McInnis (illness), Matt Carroll (ankle) and Derek Anderson (knee). Earl Boykins, in his first home game since he was signed by Charlotte last week, had 13 points off the bench in the Bobcats' fourth straight home loss.
