The last time the Nets and Kings met, the game was competitive, tight, a veritable nail-biter. For about 17 seconds. By halftime, the Kings led, 60-28.

And the Kings didn’t have Chris Webber in that Nov. 30 destruction. Now they do, so they’re even better. So that’s the task for the Nets tonight when they try to avoid consecutive defeats for the first time under Lawrence Frank as the Kings, tied for the NBA’s best record, invade the Meadowlands.

“They’re talented. How many All-Stars they’ve got on their team? Brad Miller, Peja [Stojakovic], Chris Webber. Those are three All-Stars,” said Richard Jefferson. “[Mike] Bibby is right there. [Vlade] Divac has been an All-Star. Bobby Jackson is a Sixth Man of the Year. Doug Christie is a great defender. They are the most loaded team in the league, period.”

Yeah, but Jackson (abdominal strain) is out. So it should be a piece of cake for the Nets, huh? It certainly hasn’t been in recent years. The Nets have won just once in the last seven meetings, forging a 34-point romp on Feb. 4, 2002. Aside from that, they were nipped by 36, 26, 16, 13, 7 – and a close one-point loss.

“They’re a good team, man. They’ve got their best player back,” said Kenyon Martin, expected to be back in the Nets’ lineup after sitting with a sprained ankle. “Chris Webber is playing better. We’ve got to be on our ‘A’ game. They’ve had our number the last two years for some reason.”

A reason like, the Kings (49-17) are really good?

The Nets (40-25) are in a potentially brutal stretch, a run that started with a 104-95 defeat in Miami Sunday. Now it’s the Kings, followed by the Pistons and their record-setting defense, then the rival Knicks and the Mavs. The Nets are thinking survival and forget all that West-vs.-East stuff.

The Kings – ranked first in scoring, shooting and passing – have six double-figure scorers, including Webber (albeit in only seven games) and the ailing Jackson. The Nets, coming off a 104-point yield – the most under Frank – will see their fifth-ranked defense severely tested.

“They offensively are as gifted as any team I’ve seen,” Frank said. “They’ve got five players on the floor who can pass, dribble, shoot . . . They play off each other, with each other, and play well together.”