As the Nets have turned their season around, winning eight of their last nine to help vault their record to 17-12, a sudden emphasis on starting the game fast has taken hold. 

The Nets ranks seventh in the league in first-quarter points per game (30) and since coach Jacque Vaughn took over at the start of November, there’s been a marked difference in intensity at the start of games. 

“You got to give a lot of credit to JV honestly,” Nic Claxton said following Thursday’s practice. “He’s done a phenomenal job changing our mentality. So you give a lot of credit to him.” 

Vaughn has been at the center of much of the Nets’ recent play, and his unbridled optimism helped the team get through a disastrous start of the season, which was marked by Kyrie Irving’s suspension for retweeting an anti-Semitic film and Kevin Durant’s unhappiness. Under Vaughn, the Nets have reflected their coach’s attitude of being upbeat and tuning out the endless noise surrounding the team.

“Start of games, start of halves, you’ve seen a lot of quick timeouts. It’s just holding everybody accountable,” Claxton said. “When you have a coach that’s really bringing it like that, you feel that energy. You don’t want to let him down.” 

That’s been particularly evident of late. Heading into Friday’s game in Toronto, the Nets have averaged 35 points per first quarter in their last three games. 

“He trusts us a lot, I think he gives us that freedom,” Ben Simmons said of Vaughn. “But with that comes responsibility in terms of being a professional, locking in, focusing on the floor.”

The Nets were fined $25,000 by the league for failing to comply with league policies governing injury reporting. The fine dates back to the Nets’ extreme load management in a win over the Pacers on Saturday, when eight players sat out. 

“It’s just a combination [of players] that is adding up at the same time,” Vaughn said after the game. “But we feel totally comfortable as an organization that we put the best product out there on the floor as many times as possible and we’ll continue to do that. It just so happened that tonight is more than one, two or three people.” 

Patty Mills is listed as doubtful for Friday’s game with a non-COVID illness. Seth Curry is questionable with right hamstring tightness. The two-way quartet of David Duke Jr., Kessler Edwards, Day’Ron Sharpe and Alondes Williams are all out. 

With Stephen Curry expected to be out for “a few weeks” with a left shoulder injury, per ESPN, he’s likely to miss the Warriors’ matchup at Barclays Center on Dec. 21.