SAN ANTONIO – Last year, the end came amid disappointment that was at least tempered by the value of experience, the promise of a brighter future, the resolve to get back and try again. This year, there is only disappointment.

“It’s over. There’s no more games ’til next season,” Kenyon Martin said in a near whisper, his toweled-draped head hanging in the Nets’ locker room. “They all hurt, but this one hurt a little more. We had a chance. Last year, we didn’t have a shot.”

So the Nets became the NBA Finals bridesmaid for a second straight year as the Spurs exploded with unbridled ferocity, forging a devastating 19-0 run in a 4:54 span of the fourth quarter that negated all the positives the Nets managed much of the game.

When the Nets went bad, they went rancid, and they had no answer for Finals MVP Tim Duncan, who produced a triple-double to lead the Spurs to the 88-77 victory for their second title in five years. And handed the Nets the ultimate disappointment for a second straight year.

“They both hurt,” said Jason Kidd (21 points, seven assists), who, in what conceivably was his last game as a Net, tried to carry the team but simply did not have enough support. Martin shot 3-of-23 for example and Kerry Kittles (16 points) sat through much of the decisive run.

“You hate losing,” Kidd said. “It hurts just like last year. Last year was more of an embarrassing situation in the sense of getting swept in the Finals [by the Lakers]. This year . . . we came up short.”

Thanks to Duncan, who finished off his dream Finals with 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and eight blocks – falling just two blocks shy of the first playoff quadruple-double. Duncan, who was to the Nets what Shaquille O’Neal was last year, had support, especially during the 19-0 devastation. David Robinson, in the final game of his Hall of Fame career, had 13 points and 17 rebounds.

“I thought it all started on the defensive end,” said Byron Scott, who called timeout after timeout, but couldn’t halt the runaway train that the Spurs engineered, turning a 72-63 Nets’ lead into an 82-72 San Antonio advantage that finally was halted with a Kidd jumper just 3:21 from the end. “They got aggressive, really started being more physical.”

And the Nets, well, they came apart in every way. They missed six straight shots and 12-of-13 as the Spurs, who held a ridiculous 55-35 rebound edge, would not be denied.

“We had the game in our hands and let it slip away,” said Dikembe Mutombo who said there was miscommunication on the part of the Nets’ players about when to double Duncan which often led to open shots. And there were lots of open shots.

The Nets threatened to pull away but all night, the Spurs kept them within reach. The demise came after the Nets were up 72-63. Malik Rose hit two free throws, found an opening for a wide-open layup and then ex-Net Stephen Jackson (17 points) bagged a 3-pointer and it was 72-70, Nets. Timeout.

But it didn’t stop the Spurs. Jackson hit another three for the lead, the Spurs’ first of the game. Robinson scored on a put-back, Speedy Claxton bagged a left side jumper and it was 77-72, Spurs. Timeout again. Still nothing. Except another Jackson 3-pointer, off a kickout by Duncan for the 10th assist that completed his triple-double.