Minutes after completing another impressive victory over one of the NBA’s best teams, the Nets spoke in their locker room about why they haven’t been able to replicate that success against lesser opponents for much of this season.

Kyrie Irving admitted the Nets held that discussion and searched for answers as a team following Tuesday’s rousing win over the Los Angeles Clippers at Barclays Center.

“Every game means a lot to us. We just have to come out and show it,” Irving said after the game. “I feel like [Tuesday] it was easy to go out and do that. After the game we talked as a team just about collectively coming together against teams that may not have the record and show it. We’re playing to their level or we’re not playing to exceed the effort that’s needed. We just want to continue to make consistent habits, just playing the right way every single game.

“I think for us, we just have to take pride in coming out and understanding that every team is going to give us their best shot. We are one of those teams in the league, but we have to continue to earn that respect.”

Brooklyn is 14-9 overall this season under first-year coach Steve Nash but notably 5-0 against Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Boston, Utah and the Clippers – the three teams that along with them owned the best four records in the Eastern Conference through Tuesday’s action, plus two of the top three teams (with the Lakers) in the West.

Of the Nets’ nine losses, however, only two (both against Memphis) have come against a team that began play Wednesday with a record above .500. They have lost twice to both Cleveland and Washington, including Sunday’s late-game choke ahead of the win over the Clippers, as well as to Charlotte and Oklahoma City.

“It’s about the buildup for us. We’re using this season obviously to get better. Obviously we want to win every single game, but you know we’re using this season to get to know each other, to grow as a team, to build chemistry and to get on the same page,” James Harden said. “Obviously, some games are going to be better than others, but I think overall that same mindset that we had [Tuesday] we have to have that same mindset every single game, no matter who we’re playing.

“That’s when you’re going to see some growth out of all of this.”

Harden, who was obtained from Houston on Jan. 13 to form a Big 3 with Irving and Kevin Durant, added that he believes the key to that consistency – and to advance deep into the playoffs — will be improvement at the defensive end of the court.

“Once we get that down pat defensively, you can talk about blowing teams out,” Harden said. “Offensively, we got it, and we’ll figure it out and we’ll continue to figure it out. But defensively we HAVE to figure it out. That’s what it has to be in order for us to be playing at the end.

“We know we’re gonna get teams’ best shot every single night. We have to be prepared for it. When we’re not prepared for it, then games like the one [against Washington] before this one [against the Clippers] can happen…We just have to build that mindset and mentality every single game.”

The Nets can test that approach again this week with a home game Friday against Toronto (9-12) ahead of Saturday’s road clash with East-leading Philadelphia.

“Some teams are not necessarily playing well going into games against us, and they play against us, and they start playing well,” Irving said. “We want to relish that challenge as a group.”