MILWAUKEE – So exactly who was that guy who made shots, rebounded with purpose and authority, passed with precision, took the ball to the hole with determination and owned the offensive glass, making eight of his 13 rebounds of the second-chance variety?

“That was Rodney Rogers,” said Nets coach Byron Scott of Rogers’ terrific all-around, ovation- and chant-producing effort Wednesday in the 115-103 rout of the Wizards in the Meadowlands.

That was the Rogers the Nets have awaited since signing him as a free agent in August of 2002. That was the Rogers who only rarely showed his head during Nets games, whether because of poor conditioning or assorted injuries, including a lacerated thumb sustained in the first game this season.

“He had a lot of energy. He ran the floor. He was making hard cuts,” Kerry Kittles said of the Rogers who showed Wednesday. “He played with a lot of energy. I don’t know where it came from. Maybe it was the pre-game lunch.”

Now one game does not make Rogers an All-Star. In fact, Rogers’ reward was a spot back on the bench for last night’s game here against the Bucks as Kenyon Martin, suspension over, reclaimed his starting spot that Rogers had kept warm for two games. But one game can go a long way in lifting Rogers’ confidence and making him a productive member to Nets’ society again.

“He felt his confidence level was up because of the [previous] four days,” Scott said of Rogers’ extra work during the Nets’ long time off in between games. “He was making shots. He worked hard before that, but you can tell when a guy’s putting in extra and that’s what he’s been doing: putting in extra work before and after practice to try to get in a rhythm.

“You can put in your mind, ‘It’s time to get going’ and I think that’s what he did,” Scott concluded.

For Rogers, who flashed a huge smile as the sparse Meadowlands gathering chanted his name and gave him a modified standing ovation when he left the game, the spotlight was a long time coming. And the quiet, reserved Rogers was just glad that it did.

“It was a lot of fun. I was out there ripping and running, getting rebounds and scoring some baskets. I was glad it was team effort,” said Rogers. “You can’t let it get to you it will take even longer. We got a great group of guys and everybody works together and it’s bound to happen [for you].”

Scott had announced before the game that Rogers would excel. Call it a feeling.

“I told you he was going to hit his shots. I’ve seen him in practice, how hard he’s worked. He’s been there an hour and a half before anybody. He’s just getting a lot of work in right now and it paid off,” Scott said. “He wanted it more than anything. He wanted to come out and play the way he’s capable of playing. He did a heckuva job rebounding the ball, knocking down shots, making good passes. He played a complete game.”

Yup, it was Rodney Rogers he was talking about.