The Nets got served humble pie Wednesday in a horrific loss. It took a sweet performance like Friday night’s to get the sour taste out of their mouths.
After a rare shootaround, switched lineup and some soul-searching, the Nets dominated the Spurs 139-120 at Barclays Center before a crowd of 16,277 — including the greatest Net of all.
Julius Erving — who led the franchise to a pair of ABA crowns — was seated courtside, taking in a Nets game in Brooklyn for the first time. The Nets made sure to put on a show Dr. J could be proud of.
After getting drilled 118-79 in their own building Wednesday by the Grizzlies, the Nets bounced back to score a season-high in this one — the 60-point jump the biggest from game-to-game in franchise history.
The Nets’ ball movement dissected the Spurs’ defense, leading to 32 assists and just seven turnovers. Their 41-point third quarter was a team record, as were their 120 going into the fourth. The final period was cruise-control to the finish line, ending with their highest-scoring effort of the season.
Spencer Dinwiddie drives on Derrick White during the Nets’ 139-120 win over the Spurs.APThey didn’t need Caris LeVert to be as dominant as he was Tuesday in Boston, when he poured in a career-high 51. He was more sublime against the Spurs, with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. He sealed his first career triple-double on a feed to Jarrett Allen for a cutting layup that made it 130-110 with 5:01 left.
“[The triple-double] feels good. It feels better getting a win,” LeVert said. “We felt like we didn’t compete up to our abilities last game against Memphis. We all left here with a sour taste in our mouths so it felt good to get back out here and get a win.
“I think any time you lose like that, like we did last game, that next game there’s always a sense of urgency coming out and I think we did that.”
LeVert joined Kyrie Irving, Vince Carter and Stephon Marbury as the only Nets with a 50-point game and a triple-double, but he had both of his in a span of four days.
He wasn’t alone, with eight Nets in double-figures, including Joe Harris (20 points) and Spencer Dinwiddie (19). Taurean Prince, coming off the bench for the first time all season, added 13.
Julius ErvingEPA“Probably one of our more disappointing losses against Memphis the other night. I think everybody responded,” Harris said. “We were disappointed with how we played the other night. The focus started [Friday] morning. Guys were locked-in.”
Coach Kenny Atkinson held a morning shootaround, which he rarely does. Then he swapped Wilson Chandler into the lineup for stout defense at power forward, and shifted Prince’s offense to the second unit. Prince took his first bench appearance all season in stride.
“I’m a grown man, bruh. It’s fine,” said Prince, who had shot just 37.5 percent last month and was 7-for-27 in March. “Do I want to come off the bench? Completely not. But do I want to do whatever it takes to help the team get to where we ultimately want to go? Any day of the week.”
The moves — and attitude adjustment — paid off. The Nets roared out of the gate.
Harris hit a 3-pointer off a Dinwiddie feed with 4:24 left in the first quarter to put the Nets ahead 29-8. They never looked back from there.
The Nets eventually padded that to as much as 33, and it never got closer than 15 after that, with Erving looking on.
“It’s amazing to have a legend like that come in and watch. We’re lucky he’s a part of the Nets family,” Harris said.
LeVert hoped they left the Hall of Famer impressed.
“I hope so. I hope so. He’s a legend, one of the greatest to put on a Nets jersey, put on a jersey in general. So it was cool having him here,” said LeVert, who couldn’t resist snapping a photo with Dr. J beforehand. “I went up to him and said, ‘What’s up?’ to him and got a picture.”



