CLEVELAND — The Nets had the NBA’s worst record coming into Friday’s game at defending champion Cleveland. And they had to play a motivated Cavaliers team while essentially bereft of their entire starting five.
Jeremy Lin, Joe Harris and Trevor Booker were out for health reasons, and Brooklyn rested Brook Lopez and Caris LeVert, both of whom ostensibly are healthy. Unsurprisingly, they lost 124-116 — and, frankly, it took a lot of ball movement, a late rally and some hustle to make it that close.
“We competed for 48 minutes. Rough third quarter, but LeBron James and Kyrie Irving had a lot to do with that,’’ coach Kenny Atkinson said. “But I think we competed for the whole game, and that’s all we’re asking from our guys. I thought we shared the ball.”
Oh, the third quarter was rough all right as the Nets were outscored 39-26. Irving had 20 of his 28 points in the third, when the Nets’ 55-47 halftime deficit swelled to 21. James (31 points, 11 assists) scored the opening basket of the fourth to make it 96-73.
Randy Foye (16 points, eight boards, five assists) started at shooting guard with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson at power forward.
But as shorthanded as they were, the Nets scrapped back to within eight against the Cavs’ bench. They shared the ball, with 23 assists to just nine turnovers, a big reason they hit 16-of-33 shots from deep.
It just wasn’t enough.
“We’re down two starting big guys. We did a good job to fight through the full 48 minutes. … LeBron hit some difficult shots, but overall we did a good job,’’ said Bojan Bogdanovic, who scored 17 points. “We know Brook is the only iso player, the player that can score 30 points, so it’s tough to play without him.”
Lin is out long term, Booker is ill and Harris is improving from a sprained ankle. Atkinson said both Lopez and LeVert will play Saturday at Minnesota.
It’s the second time LeVert has been rested in the past three games, but both he and Atkinson insist the rookie isn’t injured.
“No, I feel good,’’ LeVert told The Post. “The general feeling is not overdoing it. I’ve done a good job up to this point with my staying healthy, staying religious to my rehab: We just want to make sure we don’t have any slippage.”
Quincy Acy is on a second 10-day deal, and the Nets must decide before Monday’s game at Miami whether they want to ink him for the rest of the year or let him go.
“No decision yet,” Atkinson said of Acy, who is 10 of 15 from 3-point range in nine games with the Nets. “We’ll see more of him. but we’ve been pleased with how he’s adapted. We like his versatility. We like how he brings a toughness.“His perimeter shooting is obviously intriguing. … I don’t think it’s an anomaly. I can see the way he gathers it and his balance and how he realizes it. Why can’t this guy be a pretty good shooter? So we’re intrigued. He’s done well.”