Not even one of the NBA’s top teams could slow down the surging Nets. 

The Nets authored a definitive statement Friday night with a resounding 118-100 victory over the Bucks in front of a sellout crowd of 18,169 at Barclays Center. Their league-best win streak now stands at eight games. 

“We understand that everybody’s watching this game and everybody who came to this game looked at this as bigger than a regular season game,” said Kevin Durant, who led the Nets with 24 points. “So I think we tried to approach it that way.” 

That approach certainly paid off. The Nets (21-12) led by as many as 23 points in the second half and have now won 12 of their last 13 games. And in bullying the Bucks (22-10), the Nets asserted themselves as contenders in the Eastern Conference. 

“They play playoff-style basketball every night,” Durant said. “So it’s on us to match that.” 

Coach Jacque Vaughn emphasized that point before the game, stressing the need for the Nets to come out “a little bit more focused.” Slow starts have threatened to derail their winning streak, necessitating furious late comebacks recently at both Detroit and Toronto. 

No such rally was needed Friday. Seamless ball movement — the Nets notched 11 assists on their first 13 baskets — opened up a quick seven-point lead. In the second quarter, a steal and fastbreak slam from Nic Claxton (19 points) put the Nets up double digits. That drew the ire of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (26 points, 13 rebounds), whom Claxton bumped into on his way back to the bench. 

But that was all the fight the Bucks showed. 

Still, the Nets knew better than to be complacent. On Oct. 26, in the only previous contest between the two teams this season, the Nets led by 12 points at halftime and ended up losing by 11. This time, they led at the break and held on. 

“Sometimes you want to win too bad and you end up pressing and forcing a bit,” Durant said. “Especially when things are going so well, they can turn so fast. … We just stayed poised.” 

Five minutes into the third quarter, Royce O’Neale (17 points) canned a straightaway 3-pointer to push the lead to 20. A few moments later, Ben Simmons (12 points, 11 rebounds) lofted home a sky hook to swell the lead to 23. 

Even as the Bucks attempted to mount a late comeback — drawing within 10 points on numerous occasions in the final quarter — the Nets held firm. 

“I thought overall, the mental approach from guys, they’re gonna make some 3s but we didn’t panic,” Vaughn said. “Giannis is gonna get through us sometimes and we’re not gonna overreact. Can we be steady throughout the course of the night? I thought overall, our guys responded extremely well.” 

In the fourth quarter, that response came via Kyrie Irving. Quiet for much of the night after missing the last game with right-calf tightness, Irving scored 14 of his 18 points in the final quarter to push the Nets to the finish. 

“You just feel, as a coach, that you can’t keep missing shots,” Vaughn said. “You feel like the next one is gonna go in. … Those dudes are too good and it’s a matter of time.” 

That’s how it feels sometimes with the Nets, led by the talented tandem of Durant and Irving. 

Now, they’ll look to keep the good times rolling. 

“We don’t want to take our foot off the gas pedal,” Irving said. “We know it’s a long season, but this is a great place right now. And we feel good.”