If the Nets have any hope of digging themselves out of this self-made hole and winning a title, they’ll need Kyrie Irving starring, not struggling.

Irving broke out of his funk in spectacular fashion Tuesday night, and jokingly credited The Post’s pregame advice about driving more with helping him do it.

After Irving erupted for 42 points to spark an easy victory over Houston, attacking the basket with fervor, he strode into the postgame press conference and before taking any questions asked The Post “Did I drive enough? I took your advice.”

When told it was effective, he joked, “I’ll see you in coaching one day; maybe fifth grade, eighth grade.”

Jokes aside, the Nets need to see more of this from Irving, with two more games on the schedule after Wednesday night’s tilt with the cross-river rival Knicks at the Garden.

Irving is arguably the greatest finisher of any small guard in the history on the NBA. His ability to beat just about any defender off the dribble, to get to the cup almost at will, is a weapon that can unlock the Nets’ offense. If he uses it.

“I just thought he played well,” Steve Nash said. “I didn’t get too carried away with the shooting numbers. I think that happens to everyone and he’s going through a big change. Playing home and away now. Playing longer minutes, longer stretches with all the injuries.

“So I think it’s understandable that he might not have shot [at] his normal clip for a couple weeks there. But I would bet on him every time, that it comes back to the norm. It was great to see him feel in rhythm and have his legs underneath him [Tuesday] night.”

That adjustment has come in fits and starts. In Brooklyn’s five games going into the Rockets tilt, Irving had averaged 21.4 points on 36.2 percent shooting — and just 35.2 percent on jumpers, which are always going to be subject to those ebbs and flows Nash spoke about.

“If I am dipping in and out of my efficiency and not making as many shots, it puts a little bit more pressure on our team,” said Irving. “Maybe I’ll take some of your advice and drive a little bit more.”

In the Nets’ past five games entering Tuesday, Irving averaged just 21.4 points on 36.2 percent shooting — including 35.2 percent on jumpers, which always come and go.

But Irving — who averaged 5.8 layup attempts per game last season, and has averaged as many as 6.8 in 2016-17 — hadn’t unleashed his greatest weapon during this mini-shooting slump.

Irving — who’d been averaging just 3.4 layup attempts per game this season, and 2.4 during this five-game skid — got to the tin for six on Tuesday. And sucked in the defense, created open looks for his teammates, and made the Nets better.

And it made Irving better, too, his dangerous All-Star self that Kevin Durant is going to need alongside him if the Nets are going to win the title.

Irving shot 13 of 24 from the floor, and 8 of 16 from 3-point range. He handed out six assists, and the offense looked like the attack they’ll want in the play-in — and need against one of the Eastern Conference’s top seeds if they advance.

“Obviously you have two players — when you have Kryie and you have Kevin Durant — that puts a lot of pressure on you. And then they surrounded them with shooting,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Whatever their record is, you throw it out the window. Obviously a lot of mitigating circumstances, their road record tells you how good they are.”