All throughout the series, Nets interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo has countered claims of his team being gutless by talking up the resiliency of the Nets.

That claim and counterargument were on display in two contrasting halves during Game 7 against the Bulls.

On one side was an awful first half which saw the Nets fall behind by 17 at halftime. On the other side was a spirited come back in the third quarter which shaved 10 points off of the deficit.

However, the first half ultimately came back to burn them as their first season in Brooklyn ended with a disappointing 99-93 loss on Saturday night.

“I think they had more energy than us in the first half and that really determined the game,” Brook Lopez said. “It’s tough; they just outplayed us. There really wasn’t anything specific that we really did and I think that falls back on me. It’s my job to contest the shots at the rim and back us up when we get beat. I just didn’t do that tonight.”

“They played like they wanted to keep playing, like they didn’t want their season to end,” Gerald Wallace added. “We didn’t do anything in the first half.”

They won 49 games to earn the right to host Game 7, but wound up losing to a team saddled with illness and injury. Chicago won with Derrick Rose not playing a minute, Kirk Hinrich missing the last three games with a calf injury, Luol Deng missing the last two with an illness and Joakim Noah playing through plantar fasciitis.

“We didn’t want to go out like that this,” Lopez said. “We competed, we got better this season. We achieved a lot of our goals, but not all of them. It’s very frustrating.”

“That’s a heckuva a hole to dig against a team that’s competing the way they’re competing,” Carlesimo said. “We really believed we could be the ninth team to come out of that [3-1] hole. It wasn’t meant to be.”

Most of the team is expected back next season but the status of Carlesimo remains uncertain even if players praised him for leading the team to a 38-23 record after replacing Avery Johnson on Dec. 28.

“I think he did a great job of leading us,” Deron Williams said. “I’d love to see him back but as you know that’s not up to me.”

The Nets could have given upper management more of a reason to keep Carlesimo but they encountered an unstoppable force in Noah.

Noah torched the Nets’ frontline for 16 points and five rebounds in the first half and 24 points and 14 rebounds overall. Marco Belinelli was also a force, scoring 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter.

“It’s disappointing,” Williams said. “When we won Game 6, we felt like this was our series and they came out and played a great game.

“Noah is a warrior. He had a monster game and we really had no answer for him tonight.”

The best way the Nets could counter Noah’s dominance was by getting a standout performance from at least two of their big three.

It didn’t quite happen.

Lopez finished with 21 points but was 9-of-20, while Joe Johnson missed his first six shots and finished with six points on 2-of-14 shooting.

“I don’t make excuses,” Johnson said. “If I was out there on the floor, then I was able to go. So I don’t blame my foot for anything. It was just a terrible game.”

After they went 3-for-17 in the second half Thursday, the trio was a combined 7-for-21 in the opening half Saturday and 19-for-51 total in Game 7.

Williams finished with 25 points and seven assists but it was not enough.

The Nets scrapped their way back in the game by outscoring Chicago, 31-21, in the third quarter, highlighted by 11 points from Gerald Wallace. The rally brought the deficit to 82-75 entering the fourth but they couldn’t continue the momentum.

“We felt like it, being at home and the energy from the crowd if we could keep it going,” Wallace said. “We were down 17 at halftime and there’s only so much you can do and they came back with the fourth quarter.”

The Bulls also struggled scoring but they took an 84-76 lead when Carlos Boozer broke free from a double team and drove in for a layup. The Nets missed their first eight shots of the fourth quarter and fell behind by double digits (86-76) on Boozer’s easy layup as three defenders watched.

Brooklyn scored its first basket of the fourth quarter on Lopez’s tip in with 6:45 left and then cut it to 86-81 on a 3-pointer from Williams with 6:13 remaining just before Jimmy Butler could get over for the help defense.

Following a timeout and with the crowd at its loudest volume of the night, Boozer missed an open layup but Nate Robinson buried a deep jumper just before Lopez could close out for an 88-81 edge.

After Lopez missed a 15-foot jumper, Robinson missed a layup but the Bulls got the rebound and Belinelli made it a double-digit game by hitting a 3-pointer with 4:52 left.

The Nets again made it a single-digit game (91-83) when Johnson found a cutting Lopez for a layup but Noah glided to the hoop for another layup without much resistance. Wallace made it 93-85 with a layup at 3:01 and the Nets made it a five-point game on Williams’ hard drive and subsequent foul shot with 2:26 remaining.

The decibel level rose once again as the crowd implored the Nets to defend but they gave up another layup, this time to Belinelli. The Nets made it a five-point game with 1:17 to play on Lopez’s put back of a Wallace missed 3-pointer but could not cut it any further as Johnson badly missed a corner 3-pointer with 38.9 seconds remaining.

The Nets made it a four-point game (97-93) on Williams’ fourth 3-pointer of the night with 26.9 seconds remaining. After Belinelli sank two foul shots with 26.1 seconds to play, Williams badly missed a 3-pointer and Johnson airballed a 3-pointer and the Bulls celebrated while the Nets walked off the court in disappointment as the PA announcer wished the fans a happy summer.

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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Joe Johnson has accepted the fate of playing with a sore foot, especially with at least one elimination game looming. There’s little he can do but spot up and hope for the best when he releases a shot.

“It’s kind of like I’m out there on one leg, honestly, man,” Johnson said after Wednesday’s practice. “I can’t really push the basketball if I get a rebound. I can’t really run pick and rolls, so basically I’m a decoy, a spot-up shooter, I can’t really do a whole lot. I’ll be the bailout guy if you get into a sticky situation just try and find me.”

Interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo also has accepted that fact while expressing the belief Johnson can’t be injured any further. He also has an appreciation for what Johnson is doing, especially since without naming names, there might be others in the league that would not do the same.

“That’s what warriors do,” Carlesimo said. “Everybody doesn’t do that. That’s what guys who are warriors, guy who really are competitors, that’s what they do.

Carlesimo said those who see the treatments, shooting drills and other routines would gain the same level of appreciation.

“Players always know,” Carlesimo said. “They’re in there, they dress together, they know what guys are going through particularly this time of the year and more. … It’s not just a matter of going out there.

“Obviously he’s got a lot of pain the next day and in this case we had two days which helps a little bit. So they know what he’s going through and they appreciate it.”

Johnson has competed through the injury, which first appeared in late-February, with mixed results.

Johnson has shot 50 percent (12-for-24) in the two wins and 42.3 percent (22-for-52) in the three losses. It also seemed to impact his 3-point shooting at least early in the series.

Johnson knows the Bulls will attempt to exploit his limitation by running him off picks and high screens while getting him to chase on defense.

“The adrenaline factors in a lot,” Johnson said. “Once I get moving on the court and it feels loose it feels better, but toward the end of the game I’m just really so focused and I try to block it out as much as I can and just try to make a big play.

“Late in games it’s just one of those times, I might have to push off and do what I have to do to get us over the hump or come up with a big play for us so I just have a tendency to play through it and gut it out.”

During the regular season, Johnson shot 9-for-10 from the field in games the Nets were tied or trailing by three points or fewer with less than a minute remaining.

In this series, he is 2-for-5, with the two baskets coming in the second overtime on Saturday. In the five games, he is shooting 13-for-27 after the third quarter.

“I think it’s a process that can make us tougher and stronger as a team,” Johnson said. “Fighting through adversity in this first round, it definitely can build character and make us much more stronger mentally. We’ll see how it goes. We definitely feel like we can win this series.”

Johnson couldn’t put a percentage on how he’s feeling but indicated that if this was a regular-season game, he probably wouldn’t play. But now that his first season in Brooklyn is on the line, that’s a concern for another time.

“I’m just giving them everything I can at this point,” Johnson said.

Right calf strain for Blatche

Since Game 4, Andray Blatche has been dealing with a strained right calf. Although he thought it was a cramp down the stretch of Game 5, it was more noticeable during the 11-plus minutes Blatche played.

Like Johnson, Blatche was not going to let an injury that seems to be minor get in the way of his production.

Blatche has been getting treatment for it and said the combination of that and adrenaline will get him on the court Thursday.

“I can give as many as you give me,” Blatche said. “Whatever they give me I’m going to go out there and play hard. I’m really expecting by tomorrow for this thing to be about 90 percent [healed]. I should be ready to play tomorrow.”

More aggression defensively for Lopez

Brook Lopez spoke about defense while his right ankle was taped Wednesday after practice. The tape on his ankle was just routine soreness which probably came from both ends of the court, especially in the shot-blocking department.

Lopez started the series with first-quarter blocks of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer and has averaged 3.4 blocks through the postseason, second only to Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka (3.5). The Nets also are better defensively with him on the court as they allow 95.5 points per 100 possessions this series.

So when asked about his defense, Lopez conceded it has definitely improved while adding that “he was the last line of defense.”

That’s about as boastful Lopez was when touching on the topic, but he was extremely proud it came a year after being limited to five games in 2011-12 due to a foot injury.

“I’m honestly happy to be playing,” he said. “It sucked to not be on the floor playing with my teammates. I wanted to get in a place where I wouldn’t be able to get injured again and go out there and be able to play basketball and have fun.”

Hinrich sheds walking boot

Chicago guard Kirk Hinrich ditched his walking boot but that does not necessarily mean he will play Game 6. Hinrich didn’t practice due to his bruised left calf and told reporters significant improvement had to be made.

“I’m still walking very gingerly,” Hinrich told Chicago reporters at Bulls’ practice. “I haven’t tried to run or cut or jump or anything yet. I’m hoping it improves a lot. … It’s just one of those things where I took a good shot and it’s preventing me from moving very well.”

Former Knick Nate Robinson scored 20 points while playing 43 minutes in Game 5, but had just four points in the fourth quarter. He also struggled to stay in front of Deron Williams and Chicago head coach Tom Thibodeau seemed unsure if Robinson would start again.

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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The plantar fasciitis Joe Johnson was dealing with during February and early March has returned and with the Nets currently tied at one game apiece in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with Chicago it is something Johnson has been forced to accept and cope with.

Johnson did not practice Wednesday and the Nets are officially listing him as a game-time decision, though Johnson and interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo did not sound alarmed and seem to believe the shooting guard will play Thursday night.

“Hopefully, [I can play],” Johnson said. “This is valuable for us. We’ve battled. We’ve been through ups and downs the whole year. I’m going to do whatever I can to be out there.”

“It’s unfortunate but injuries happen and hopefully he’s going to be OK,” Carlesimo said. “If he’s not, other guys have to pick it up.”

In his first two playoff games as a Net, Johnson is 13-for-31 from the field. He started Game 2 3-for-5 in the first quarter, but was 3-for-13 the rest of the game.

According to Johnson, at some point in the first quarter the ailment flared up again. He did not specify the exact moment in the period but from the 6:04 mark to the 1:34 mark, Johnson hit a fastbreak layup, a nine-foot floating jumper and a 3-pointer.

His final shot of the first quarter was a missed 3-pointer, which began a stretch of eight straight misses until a 3-pointer with 5:18 remaining in the fourth quarter.

“That’s no excuse, man,” Johnson said. “It was definitely a game that got away that we should’ve won. I’m a little sore but I’ll be able to give them what I got.”

Johnson missed four games with what the team said was a sore let heel and seemed to be over it but said it lingered and that it was a small amount of plantar fasciitis. Since these games significantly more crucial than regular season games in the middle of the winter, there is little time to cope with it other than just rest and treatment.

“I think it may have been a little bit of plantar fasciitis in February when it first started,” Johnson said. “Now it’s deep into the plantar fasciitis. It’s just something I’ll have to fight through.

“It lingered here and there. I had my good days and bad days. It’s just something that needs rest and I don’t have time for it right now.”

Johnson is not the only player in this series dealing with a painful foot injury. Chicago’s Joakim Noah has played nearly 40 minutes with a foot injury while totaling 15 points and 15 rebounds but, as Johnson pointed out, the duties of a shooting guard are vastly different than a center.

“I’m chasing guys off screens, penetrating [and] cutting,” Johnson said. “He’s a big man, so it’s a lot different.”

And like Noah, even though both were considered game-time decisions, nobody is expecting Johnson to sit.

“Oh, he’ll play,” Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters at Bulls’ practice. “Don’t worry.”

Adjustments critical for Williams

For many players the best defense mechanism about a bad performance is to merely shrug it off and chalk it up to “one of those days.” That’s the method Deron Williams selected when discussing his 1-for-9 showing in Game 2.

“I had a bad game,” Williams said. “It happens. Relax.”

The Nets will hardly be in a position to relax if it happens again. The main cause was the constant double teams he faced in various pick-and-roll situations and away from the basket.

“They got two people on him, particularly in the pick and rolls,” Carlesimo said. “He was able to split it a lot but they got two people on him. When he comes off screens, they got two people on him and he saw a loaded floor, which they do. When you get into the paint, there’s people there. There’s three, four or five people there. I’m sure they did some things different. I think it was more they did things better.”

In the times that he did not face a double team, Williams missed four open 3-pointers by his count. In Game 1 he made two 3-pointers and attacked the rim, as he was 7-for-9 on shots from 10 feet or less as opposed to his 1-for-3 showing in that category Monday.

“I missed shots and let them dictate what I was doing a little bit and just got a little passive but I’ll be fine,” Williams said. “I had four open 3s that I missed. I make those, that’s 12 more points and we’re not even talking about it.”

And it seems the best way to counter the slew of defenders is to drive to the rim with more aggressiveness like Williams did on Saturday.

“Be aggressive but read what’s there from the defense and when it’s appropriate and when you can get it to the rim and when we want you to attack — attack,” Carlesimo said of how Williams can respond. “When it’s not, take what they give us.”

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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The Nets current roster has 270 games of playoff experience ranging. The most significant player without any experience is center Brook Lopez.

Saturday is a culmination of long process that followed the transition from the Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson years to the move from New Jersey.

Along the way, he played every game for a team that lost its first 16 games and 70 overall in 2009-2010. He has heard his name mentioned way too many times for anyone to count in rumors about Dwight Howard.

Other events include playing in three different zip codes (Newark, N.J., East Rutherford, N.J. and Brooklyn) hearing all about the future in Brooklyn and learning about the future home where he would become an All-Star for the first time.

“It’s really been an amazing journey,” Lopez said. “It’s very surreal to think of the power point presentations they’d show us when the management would come in and show us renderings of the Barclays Center and all the those factoids about how big Brooklyn is and all that stuff and everything.

“I can’t wait,” Lopez said. “I’ve been very anxious, waiting for it while playing through these last few games. And now that it’s on the horizon, I’m very excited about it.”

Lopez has a lot to do with why the borough will be hosting its first postseason game since Game 7 of the 1956 World Series. His consistent production is among the reasons why the Nets are hosting their first playoff game since May 18, 2007.

“He’s had an All-Star year,” interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo said. “He’s shooting the ball well from the perimeter, he’s finishing inside and he’s getting to the free-throw line. He’s night and day better defensively, in terms of the way he protects the rim.”

So do his teammates think he’ll be ready to step up for the biggest games of his career?

“Hell yeah,” Reggie Evans said.

Evans has been in the league for 11 years and played with big men such as Blake Griffin, but what he sees from Lopez is a work ethic and focus that makes the Nets fully trust their 2008 first-round pick.

“Brook is showing you everything,” Evans said after Thursday’s practice. “Brook’s a whole different person and when I say that, that’s in a good way. Nobody is stopping him. The only person that can stop Brook is Brook, that’s it. Brook is on a mission.

“His focus is there. He’s there early on game day. His focus in practice is there. His determination is there. So he’s my least concern in being ready. I’ve been kind of prepping him like, ‘Hey man, the atmosphere is going to be different.’ But he ain’t showing me no signs like he’s not ready. He’s ready to step up to the plate.”

Nets playing their best

New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin is fond of saying you want to be playing your best entering the playoffs. Judging by how the Nets finished the regular season, it seems that they are adhering to Coughlin’s viewpoint.

The Nets won six of their last seven games after losing by two to Chicago on April 4. The loss was one of just six the Nets had in their last 18 games.

“I think we’ve been playing pretty good,” Johnson said. “The ball has been moving great. Guys have been on the same page. At this time of the year when you’re clicking and jelling and that cohesiveness is there, it’s perfect timing for us. So we take some of this momentum into the postseason and try to make something happen.”

In 2006, the Nets won 49 games, the same amount as this year. To reach that point, they peaked in March with a 14-game winning streak and 17 wins in their last 22 games.

There was not one moment where everything seemed to click but if there is one key reason it is health.

Deron Williams has been a different player since taking the week before the All-Star break off to rest his ankles. Joe Johnson has better lift in his heel and during the four-game winning streak that locked up the fourth seed, he shot 27-for-58 (46.5 percent).

“I think everybody is semi-healthy now,” Williams said. “And for the first time in a long time, we have everybody at full strength. So, we are definitely excited about that and feel confident that when we are playing at our highest level, we are tough to beat.”

Williams is so healthy that although the Bulls like to slow things down, he said he plans on attempting to push the pace whenever possible.

“We want to get up and down,” he said. “I think we have to. We can’t just let them set up their defense. If we let them get into a half court game, it’s going to be tough.”

Looking back at Chicago

The Nets and Bulls played four games this season. If you take anything from the regular season into the playoffs, Chicago won three of those four.

But the four games against the Bulls were decided by a combined 21 points and the three losses by the Nets have differing characteristics.

“We’ve been right there and had opportunities,” Lopez said. “I think it could easily be 3-1 the other way. It’s going to be physical, but I think we’re ready for it.”

“That’s going to be a tough series,” Johnson said. “They’re a hard-nosed team, a blue collar team, hard-working and a great defensive team. So we got to be on our P’s and Q’s, hitting on all cylinders. In the playoffs you can’t take a possession off.”

Nobody knows if Derrick Rose will play and so far, the Nets have not practiced anything related to his presence.

“You’re not gonna simulate the things he does,” Carlesimo said. “He was arguably the best player in the league when he last played, but they play so much quicker when he’s on the floor and they’re so much more disruptive defensively. The things Derrick makes happen, you can’t simulate.”

New atmosphere

When the Dodgers were making six World Series appearances against the Yankees from 1947-56, the raucous atmosphere at Ebbets Field was highlighted by Hilda Chester’s cowbell and the Dodger “symphony band.”

The Barclays Center is located at the site where Walter O’Malley wanted to build his new stadium and on Saturday night, the Nets are hoping the atmosphere will be just as noisy, but in a different way. In keeping with the theme of black uniforms and black seats in the building, the team is marketing the playoffs by urging fans by calling it a “Blackout in Brooklyn.”

On the front page of their website is a picture of Williams with the words: “Hello Playoffs, Show Your Brooklyn Pride! Represent the Home Team by Wearing Black”

Since the last Nets home playoff game, the Bulls have hosted 17 games and won 11. In the last two years, the Bulls have been the top overall seed.

“Like us, it’s going to be a new experience for the people in the building,” Carlesimo said. “So I think that’s part of it. I think that in New York or Chicago or where they’ve had playoff games before, that experience will be evident. It’ll be evident when we get to the United Center.

“Our fans have been great. I think … it’ll be a fantastic atmosphere. I’ve said all along, we’ve got to give them a reason to make a noise.”

The Nets are also trying to keep the theme of black with their uniforms. They are trying to lobby the league to wear black home jerseys as opposed to the normal white teams wear on their home courts.

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher throughout the playoffs.

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A week ago, Jay-Z announced he was creating Roc Nation, a sports agency group, and Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano would be the first client.

On Tuesday, a report surfaced indicating the Brooklyn-born rapper would be selling his small share of the Nets, a team he helped rebrand following the move from New Jersey last year.

According to a report by Yahoo Sports, Jay-Z will be selling his 0.067 share, or 1/15th interest, in the team that he was an original investor in along with Bruce Ratner. Jay-Z would need to sell his share in the team if he wants to begin representing NBA players for Roc Nation as speculated.

“I would say he had an enormous amount to do with the rebranding of the team,” interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo said before Tuesday night’s game with Philadelphia. “I’m not close to it at all, but it’s what I heard and read and saw he was huge. You’d be hard to overstate what he was to the rebranding, so that would be disappointing.”

Since his involvement with the Nets began, Jay-Z has been one of the symbols of the team in Brooklyn along with Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. He opened the building with a concert in late September and has attended several games.

According to Forbes Magazine, the Nets have a value of $530 million and, according to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, Jay-Z’s share is worth roughly $350,000.

Daily Joe Johnson watch

Joe Johnson has missed 18 of his last 27 shots in his last two games after missing the previous five with a sore left heel.

The team announced he was a game-time decision earlier Tuesday but they decided to play him with the hopes of managing his minutes to prevent further injury.

The Nets will play six games over the final nine days of the season but are one of six playoff teams facing the same situaion, which is why health is a priority.

“I think we’re gonna look at other people perhaps a bit more or not go big, big minutes at least in back-to-backs,” Carlesimo said to reporters at the morning shootaround. “If we go big minutes tonight, we’re probably not going to go big minutes tomorrow. It would be great if we could get through tonight and have something in the tank for tomorrow, but I really think we’ve gotta go day-to-day. I’m looking at it very cautiously and I’m very concerned with what we have left.”

Nets honor Ebbets Field

Tuesday marked the 100th anniversary of the first game played at Ebbets Field, which was located in neighboring Flatbush on Bedford Avenue and before the game the Nets celebrated the occasion by displaying the 1955 World Championship banner on the court before the game.

Coincidently, the Dodgers also opened Ebbets Field with a 1-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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Joe Johnson was officially listed as a game-time decision Thursday night but a few minutes after he began warming up, general manager Billy King strolled over to a group of interested reporters and declared his shooting guard was active.

Johnson returned after missing the previous five games with a sore left heel. He participated fully in practice Tuesday but according to interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo, Johnson did not respond well, which is why he sat him out Wednesday in a blowout victory at Cleveland.

The Nets went 5-3 on their eight-game road trip and Johnson shot 14-for-41 while playing 92 minutes. By having a winning road trip, the Nets may have further secured their grasp on the fourth seed, which presents Carlesimo with the delicate scenario of managing health and trying to win games.

“I think the biggest thing is to get Joe back, get him minutes and kind of get him going,” Carlesimo said. “I would say it’s our No. 1 priority. We don’t want to lose eight or nine games, whatever we have left, but the No. 1 priority would be for Joe to be healthy and to be playing minutes and for us to get used to him being on the floor again and back to being normal.”

Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of Johnson’s recent absence has been second-year guard Marshon Brooks. Brooks has played 26.4 minutes per game in his previous five games and has been productive.

In those minutes, Brooks is averaging 12.6 points,  aided immensely by a 27 points on 12-for-16 shooting Wednesday.

“There’s one thing I’m not concerned with Marshon and it’s his confidence,” Carlesimo said. “He’ll be fine. He’s playing well and he’ll continue to play well.”

Daily Rose update

Derrick Rose has yet to appear in a game this season as he recovers from a serious left knee injury suffered nearly a year ago in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against Philadelphia.

The usual routine for Rose is to shoot in the pregame warmups and though Chicago head coach Tom Thibodeau feels his return could occur soon, he also trusts Rose to decide when the time is right.

“It’s on him,” Thibodeau said. “Only he knows. We have to trust him. As I’ve said many times, I trust him implicitly.”

Rose was not the only missing rotation player for Chicago, which entered 2 1/2 games behind the Nets.

Joakim Noah, who also missed the Feb. 1 meeting in Brooklyn, sat out for the seventh straight game with a sore right foot. Richard Hamilton missed his 17th consecutive game with back spasms.

Also missing for Chicago was Taj Gibson, who reinjured his left knee Tuesday. Any decision to shut him down will be made with the team medical staff.

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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Not including the Nets’ current two-week absence from the Barclays Center due to the presence of the circus, there have been 30 road trips in the NBA consisting of at least five games.

During those trips, teams have posted winning records just seven times and not surprisingly the best performances have been achieved by NBA elite such as Miami and San Antonio. Miami swept a five-game road trip in mid-March during its 27-game winning streak while San Antonio won seven of nine during its annual rodeo trip that was broken up by the All-Star break.

The Nets have a chance to enter that minority with a win Wednesday night in Cleveland, a game that occurs the night before a home game with Chicago in a potential battle for home-court advantage in a No. 4 vs. No. 5 postseason matchup.

So far, the trip has gone mostly well with four wins in seven games. The Nets won games against sub-500 competition in Detroit and Phoenix and pulled off victories in Dallas and Portland, two teams with losing records but near the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The losses were a close game to the Clippers, a blowout in Denver and in the second night of a back-to-back in Utah. That sent the trip from 4-1 to 4-3 which is still decent, but still slightly disappointing for the Nets.

“We were above .500,” Deron Williams said after the team made a brief stop in East Rutherford, N.J. for practice Tuesday. “We lost to three playoff teams and two of the best home teams that there are in the game, so those are two hard games to win at the end of a road trip. But we wish we would have finished a little bit better.”

“We want to finish on an upswing and the seven games we played on the trip, we didn’t finish on an upswing,” interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo said. “We were on a pretty good upswing and we kind of took a couple steps back.”

When the team played at the Meadowlands, the lengthy road trips usually happened three times a season but rarely lasted more than a week. It appears this type of trip will happen again in future seasons but the hope is it will include more Eastern Conference opponents.

“Hopefully, in the future there will be more Eastern games and it will be a better breakdown during the trip so you don’t literally pack up and head out for two weeks,” Carlesimo said. “That’s not the ideal situation, especially this time of the year.

It also wasn’t ideal because the night the trip began with a blowout win in Detroit the Knicks snapped a four-game losing streak in Utah. That left the Nets one game out of first place and they haven’t been able to gain any ground because the Knicks have won eight in a row.

Johnson practices, still questionable

Joe Johnson described the feeling in his sore left heel and right quad as “great.” However, the combination of playing the Bulls on Thursday and how he feels Wednesday morning in Cleveland may factor into if he actually suits up.

“I know it’s a back-to-back,” Johnson said. “So it’s kind of, ‘pick what game you want to play basically,’ so we’ll see.”

Johnson tested his pain threshold by participating in every drill in practice. That included scrimmaging with teammates and followed the usual procedure of ice and rest.

The Nets have gone 2-2 during Johnson’s four-game absence. In the three games he has played on the trip, Johnson has shot 13-of-44 (29.5 percent) and since returning from the initial three-game absence due to a sore heel in late-February, he is shooting 42.5 percent while averaging 13.3 points.

Joseph signs 10-day contract

Watching some of former Syracuse teammates make the Final Four wasn’t the only good news Kris Joseph received in the last few days. The other was finding out the Nets signed him to a 10-day contract Tuesday.

Joseph was a second-round pick of the Celtics last June and spent most of this season in the NBDL. He was acquired by the Nets’ D-League affiliate in Springfield on Feb. 11 and averaged 19 points while starting 15 games that he said featured an improved performance on 3-pointers.

“In college I shot the ball pretty decently and the question was transitioning from the college three to the NBA three,” Joseph said. “When I was in Boston in the limited minutes I didn’t shoot a lot of threes. In Maine [with Boston's NBDL team] I did and I didn’t shoot a high percentage but once I got to Springfield I was shooting in the high-40s [percent] and I think that’s the part of my game that has improved the most.”

Joseph’s best showing from behind the arc was a 5-for-5 night on March 19 against Erie and he ended his latest stint by shooting 13-for-24 on 3-pointers over his last five games.

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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Moving closer to the Knicks may or may not be a big deal. It depends who you ask.

The Nets and Knicks were last tied for first place after both teams won on Nov. 30 and were 11-4.

Last night, the Nets had a chance to move into a virtual tie with the Knicks, but key figures within the organization seemed to have different viewpoints on it.

Approximately an hour before last night’s game, team CEO Brett Yormark used twitter to express his anticipation about what possibly could happen should the Nets win.

He tweeted from his account @brettyormark the following, “excited about tonights nets game. Chance to be tied for division lead”.

That came shortly after interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo dismissed the possibility, since the teams have not played the same amount of games.

“No,” Carlesimo said when asked if it would mean anything. “Secondly, we’re not tied for the division lead. I told you guys today. I don’t know how you guys come up with this nonsense. They have two — they had two less losses than we do. So we’re not tied with them when they have one less loss. I don’t care what the numbers say. You can’t be tied with somebody when you have one more loss than they do. It’s meaningless.”

Should the Nets beat Atlanta they will be 39-27, giving them a winning percentage of .590. That would give them more win than the Knicks, but their crossriver rival still has a winning percentage of .594.

The difference between being ahead in the Atlantic currently means a possible first-round series with Boston or Chicago. Presently, the division winner would get the Celtics, who are 2-3 against the two teams, while the runner-up would get the Bulls, who are 5-1 against the Nets and Knicks.

The teams will not have the same amount of games played until April 2 when they both have played 73 games after the Knicks visit Miami. The next night the Nets conclude their eight-game road trip in Cleveland.

Johnson’s minutes limited

Joe Johnson has played between 30 and 37 minutes in six games since returning from a sore left heel and even though he has had since last Monday between full-contact games, his minutes are still going to be limited.

Johnson practiced fully Saturday and again in shootaround before the game against the Hawks.

“I always ask and they say I’m not, but I know I am,” he told reporters of the minutes limit.

Johnson has averaged just 13.7 points per game on 33.3 percent shooting in three games this season against Atlanta, which traded him to the Nets in the offseason.

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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Deron Williams is attacking the basket more with his return to health.
Credit: Getty Images

On the Manhattan side of the East River, Carmelo Anthony is getting his knee drained, Tyson Chandler’s knee is contused and Amare Stoudemire’s just underwent knee surgery.

Meanwhile in Brooklyn, Deron Williams has a rejuvenated set of ankles that have allowed him to be more aggressive attacking the rim and Joe Johnson’s sore left heel is gradually returning to full strength.

In theory, that makes the Nets a decent bet to overtake the Knicks in the Atlantic Division before the regular season ends on April 17. If that does happen, it would mark the fifth division championship banner that the organization can halt.

Although the Nets are not dwelling on that possibility, they are well aware of the significance for their fans.

“You can say we’ve been the junior varsity at times,” Williams said after yesterday’s practice. “I think it definitely would mean a lot to clinch the division title to the fans, to the organization. I think it would be huge. There’s no doubt about that.

It’s huge to get back to playing playoff basketball. Some of these guys haven’t played playoff basketball. I think it means a lot to this franchise, especially in the first year being in Brooklyn. I think it means a lot to the city, so we will definitely be excited when it happens.”

The Nets currently sit two games behind the Knicks and when they take the court Sunday against Atlanta, that number might be reduced to one should the Trail Blazers and Clippers beat the Knicks. The Nets also have a magic number of four to clinch their first playoff berth since 2007, when they made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals before bowing out to LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

However, before anyone gets overjoyed, there is some caution. After Sunday night, the Nets will start an eight-game road trip the following night in Detroit, followed by six straight games against Western Conference foes, a brief return to the New York area for practice and then a flight to Cleveland for a game on April 3.

“I know definitely being a New Yorker, being here for what, six or seven months, I understand how the fans feel about the Nets and the Knicks, so I know how important it is,” Johnson said.

After the trip, the Nets will have nine games remaining and a better gauge on where they stand in terms of winning the division.

“It’s possible but we still have to go out west too so at this point of the season we still have to take care of our business,” Johnson said. “We can’t worry about what the Knicks are doing or any other team we just have to come out and we have our business and everything else as far as what we play for.”

Even with that diplomatic answer, it doesn’t mean the standings aren’t being checked at this point of the season.

“I tend to peek every now and then,” Johnson said. “You kind of want to gauge where you’re at and what it’s going to take to get where we’re trying to be. Yeah, I look at it quite often actually.”

Johnson expects to play

Johnson sat out Tuesday’s game with the Hornets to rest the sore left heel which cost him the final three games of February.

However, Johnson said he definitely expects to play in his fourth game against the Hawks this season on Sunday even though he did not participate in full contact drills during Thursday’s practice.

“I’m actually doing pretty good,” Johnson said. “I am resting; it feels a lot better. I actually had no pain today, so we’re still just taking it easy.”

Since returning, Johnson has averaged 13 points per game on 47.1 percent shooting but going six days without game action could help even more, especially with a long trip on the horizon.

“It gives you time to heal up your wounds and time to relax mentally and physically, so I think it’s a great time for us,” Johnson said. “Considering the fact we probably go out west for a couple weeks, this could really help us out.”

Carlesimo looks to get Humphries back

Kris Humphries began this season as the team’s starting power forward. He started the first 18 games, when the Nets won 11 times, but quickly fell out of the rotations of coaches Avery Johnson and P.J. Carlesimo.

Now it appears he might be returning to the rotation as the revolving door at power forward continues.

“We gotta get Hump in the lineup back soon,” Carlesimo said. “His conditioning is good. He’s done a lot of extra stuff with [trainer Jeremy Bettle]. The thing he hasn’t done is be on the floor in a while.”

Humphries made two more starts in December, but since going scoreless in his last start on Dec. 19 at New York he has played 20 minutes just eight times while playing less than 10 minutes nine times.

Most of his action has come in practices and in pregame workouts.

“It’s been tough,” Humphries said. “Before that it was tough. We really as far as the bigs haven’t had a consistent rotation. I think he was trying to have a rotation when I wasn’t playing. As a player you kind of want a rotation. Your minutes may flex but it helps the team with rhythm and stuff like that, so that’s been tough. And obviously that’s been trying.”

Even with averages of 5.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game following two seasons in which he averaged a double-double, Humphries believes those numbers can return at some point.

“I’m as confident as I’ve ever been in my game,” Humphries said. “I’m confident that if I get the minutes I’m still a double-double guy. You can’t always judge everything by numbers. Sometimes it’s not in your control, so for me it’s just helping the team win and trying not to make it about me and making it about the team winning. Obviously you have to look out for yourself and your career. But it’s a team sport.”

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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Joe Johnson has not suffered a setback on his sore left heel or any other injury, but since the Nets have four days before their next game against Atlanta, followed an eight-game road trip that begins next Monday in Detroit, interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo decided it was a good time to give his shooting guard a night off.

Johnson missed three games when the injury initially flared up before the All-Star break. In six games since returning, Johnson has averaged 13 points per game while shooting 57.1 percent.

“We’re just concerned with four [games] in five [days] and the little bit of the mentality that we had going into the All-Star break,” Carlesimo said. “You have four days [off], so you’re tempted to say we hold him out one more it’ll give him five days to get healthy.”

Johnson did not participate in pregame shooting and was replaced by C.J. Watson in the starting lineup.

Carlesimo still confident in Wallace

Things have not gone well for Gerald Wallace as of late, especially offensively. His numbers have dipped to 8.3 points per game and 40.7 percent shooting.

Those numbers are even worse recently. He has scored 31 total points over his last five games and is shooting 31.2 percent. Wallace scored four points on 2-of-8 shooting Monday in Philadelphia, marking the 11th straight game he failed to top double figures.

Wallace has scored in double figures just seven times since recording a 25-point night in a double overtime win over Detroit on Dec. 14.

“I’m not overly concerned,” Carlesimo said. “Gerald brings 18 things to the table that are as or more important than if he’s not shooting the ball well or if he’s struggling offensively.”

One of the things Carlesimo cited was his defensive performance two weeks ago in Brooklyn’s 101-97 win at New Orleans. Carlesimo felt Wallace’s defense helped alter at least seven shots.

“I just think that he’s so important to us because of the intensity with which he competes — his defense,” Carlesimo said. “We often put him on the two, three, occasionally the four and occasionally the one — the best guy out there.”

Lopez twins square off

Last night marked the eighth time twin brothers Brook and Robin Lopez squared off since both were first-round picks out of Stanford in 2008.

Robin played sparingly when he was with the Suns, but as a Hornet he is averaging career highs of 25:36 minutes, 11.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Two weeks ago, Brook Lopez outscored Robin Lopez, 20-14, as the twins combined for 14-of-23 shooting.

“What are the chances of one household that produces two guys that are starting centers in the NBA? It’s incredible,” Carlesimo said. “It’s really an amazing thing.”

As for the differences between the two, Carlesimo views Robin as more of a rebounder and energy type while Brook is someone who plays more under control.

“Their size is still the biggest thing,” Carlesimo said. “They have a number of things that are common and there’s a number of things that are distinctly different.”

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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Deron Williams says he has not changed his diet, but during his week off before the All-Star break he underwent a three-day cleanse to rid his body of bad toxins.

It seemed appropriate after averaging 16.7 points while shooting 41.3 percent in the first half.

Combined with a third round of cortisone injections for his injured ankles, Williams heads into tonight’s game in Charlotte on one his best stretches of the season, though he was 4-of-12 Saturday in Chicago and has committed 28 turnovers in seven games since the All-Star break.

“I did it when I was hurt,” Williams said after Tuesday’s practice while wearing a “Running Sucks” T-shirt. “I think it helps your energy and gets a lot of the bad toxins out of your system.”

Though Williams said he has not changed his diet, interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo seems to think otherwise based on his point guard’s recent appearance.

“Right now, he’s really made a strong move addressing diet,” Carlesimo said. “I remember we were at a dinner the other night and he was drinking that cleanse stuff. He’s lost some weight in the week off [and] I think it helped him. He looks good. He looks very good.”

Besides the cleanse, perhaps an even more significant reason for Williams averaging 21.7 points 7.1 assists, shooting 45.5 percent from 3-point range and 43.8 percent overall is a renewed good feeling in his ankles.

“My ankles don’t hurt,” Williams said. “We finally got the injections in the right spot. I feel a little better. I can actually go up and down stairs. I can run around with my kids. I can go to the playground with them. I don’t hurt every time I take a step.”

As for dunking, don’t count on that happening. William attempted to dunk on Clippers center Blake Griffin late in the first quarter and had his shot emphatically blocked.

“I can dunk,” Williams said. “I don’t know [about dunking]. I’m nervous.”

Johnson feeling better

Joe Johnson has scored 11 points and shot 10-of-22 in two games since returning from his heel injury. In those games, he was not necessarily 100 percent and has been using a combination of ice and treatment to improve his condition.

“I’m right there,” Johnson said. “I just got to do what I need to do to treat my body right and to be ready to perform, so we’ll see.”

Now that Johnson is feeling somewhat better, he says the next priority is to fix the constant issue of playing poorly in specific quarters. In their last two games, the Nets gave up a 29-14 third-quarter run to Dallas and a 26-12 second quarter at Chicago.

“I have no idea [why it happens],” Johnson said. “It’s been a carbon copy pretty much the whole season. We have a little run where we’ve been playing good in the third quarter but the majority of the time our third quarters has really dictated the game for us. We have to get to the drawing board or just try to make somewhat of a difference.”

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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With a little under eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Keith Bogans let his frustration be known to anyone who was watching.

C.J. Watson’s pass intended for the reserve guard landed out of bounds and when Bogans retrieved it, he slammed it with his right hand and was called for a technical foul.

Coincidentally, the Nets started playing better, but everything they had done until that point was their undoing in a 96-90 loss to the Mavericks.

The Nets were down by 19 when Bogans got annoyed, along with the crowd who had expressed displeasure at a 29-14 third quarter by Dallas. From that point, the Nets outscored the Mavericks, 24-13, and sliced a 21-point lead to five on Watson’s baseline drive with 1:05 remaining.

“There was no X and O’s, we were just playing a lot harder,” interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo said after his team dropped its third straight home game.

Ultimately, it was too late because of a dreadful stretch of 2:58 that spanned the final 62 seconds of the third quarter and the first 1:56 of the fourth quarter. The Nets let a manageable 71-63 deficit quickly become 83-63.

“We were playing like we were running in sand,” Carlesimo said. “We didn’t execute well. I thought, worse we didn’t play with any defensive energy and it went from 10 to 20 in a very short time.”

“I think we just put ourselves in a bad position and one through 12 [players on the roster] we didn’t have any energy,” center Brook Lopez said. “There was no energy on the floor; there was no energy on the bench. That’s tough. I think when our guys are struggling a little bit we on the bench should be up more and trying to get back in it.”

It started when Shawn Marion had an easy path to the hoop for a layup after Mirza Teletovic failed to put a body on him. It ended with consecutive corner 3-pointers by Jae Crowder and Mike James.

The ugly burst occurred after the Nets took a 49-48 lead at halftime. But Carlesimo seemed to have a premonition after their final three possessions of the half resulted in a missed 3-pointer, a turnover and a missed dunk.

“We should have had a four-, five-, six- or seven-point lead,” Carlesimo said.

After wasting a chance to expand the lead, the Nets started out dreadful in the second half. Deron Williams had consecutive bad passes and the Nets missed six of their first eight shots.

“The start of the third quarter was so poor and we just drifted back to what has been a problem for us,” Carlesimo said. “When we don’t score and [we] turn it over, we don’t play with the same kind of energy.”

The poor play in that brief burst put a damper on the reunion of Joe Johnson and Williams following a three-game absence.

Johnson missed his first three shots and finished with 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting, but did not play the final 8:23. Williams continued his solid scoring production of late with 24 points, but also had seven turnovers on a night the Nets committed 20 as a team.

“It started with me,” Williams said. “I think it is kind of a snowball effect. I was throwing the ball everywhere and it is just one of those things where you see a guy making some bad passes and you start thinking about it.”

Probably the best news was Johnson’s return from a sore left heel. Though Carlesimo kept Johnson on the bench because of the improved play on the court and the game in Chicago on Saturday, Johnson could have returned.

“I felt good,” Johnson said. “It’s just unfortunate that our energy level wasn’t there but physically I felt good.”

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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Deron Williams played his best game of the year Tuesday night in New Orleans when he scored 33 points.

The one caveat was that Joe Johnson was not in the backcourt with Williams. With Johnson sitting out the last three games due to a sore left heel, Williams has been able to assume some of the responsibilities as the game’s closer — a role Johnson has performed to near perfection this season.

The Nets are hopeful Johnson will return Friday night against Dallas, especially after how he and Williams performed in practice on Thursday.

“We’re still working on [our chemistry],” Williams said. “It’s something that we’re going to continue to work on and get better as it goes. I said it before I’ve never played with a guy like Joe, so it takes adjustments. We’re used to having the ball in our hands for the majority of the time, so now it’s kind of one of those things.”

Williams is shooting 19-of-36 in 79 minutes over his last two games and interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo does not believe the surge is a fluke.

“I think the shooting is real,” Carlesimo said. “I mean he’s shooting the ball extremely well, he’s moving, he’s moving well [and] he’s attacking. We’ve not actually sat down and asked him, but clearly he’s had to do more the last couple games, in terms of creating offense not just for other guys but also for himself.

“He looks good, he looks comfortable [and] he’s played big minutes,” Carlesimo said. “We rested him a little bit the other night but he’s playing big minutes and he’s playing very well which is all encouraging.”

Johnson hopeful but unsure

Johnson said he felt encouraged after Monday’s practice but didn’t suit up the next night. Johnson felt the same after a nearly perfect shooting performance in practice according to Keith Bogans but still wasn’t ready to declare 100 percent that he is ready to return Friday.

“It’s better, not 100 percent, but it’s definitely better,” Johnson said. “I’m able to get out here and move around, work out and get back acclimated.”

The reason for the uncertainty is the concern that if Johnson plays without fully — or nearly — recovering it could exacerbate the injury and be more of a detriment to the team.

“I wanna say yeah, but I don’t want to jump out on a limb,” Johnson said. “We’re still trying to do the necessary things to get me back out there as soon as possible.”

If Johnson does not start, C.J. Watson will. Watson made two starts for Williams before the break, scored 25 points against Denver on Feb. 13 and is shooting 34-of-62 over his last five games.

Brooks skips practice

Marshon Brooks has played over 20 minutes in consecutive games for the first time this season but he might have to wait to see if he can get that much playing time in a third straight game.

Brooks was held out of practice with a sprained right wrist and is considered questionable for Friday. Brooks missed three games in November with a sprained left ankle and his playing time has fluctuated this year.

He played a season-high 31 minutes Sunday against Memphis and had eight points and seven rebounds while taking 13 shots. On Tuesday, Brooks played 23 minutes and also scored eight points.

Brooks also has had 20 games with under 10 minutes of playing time.

“He’s moved the ball well, he’s made good decisions with the ball and not just in terms of scoring, but he’s had some good passes where he moved the ball,” Carlesimo said. “He’s trying to do a better job defensively, which is still the biggest concern.”

Carlesimo also said the aspect on defense Brooks has improved most is on help defense, but said his transition and one-on-one defense still need to be worked on more.

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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Nets interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo had labeled his handling of Brook Lopez’s minutes in the fourth quarter since the All-Star break as “something he probably shouldn’t do.” Yet, on Sunday when the Nets were missing Joe Johnson (sore left heel) for a second straight game, that plan remained in place.

“I created the situation and it’s not a good situation,” Carlesimo said after practice Monday before the team headed to New Orleans. “So yes, I worry about it that I need to address it and I worry about it that I need to watch what I do going forward.”

Lopez sat for the entire fourth quarter in last Tuesday’s overtime win over Milwaukee and again Wednesday. After playing six minutes in the fourth quarter, but scoring just two of his 27 points in Friday’s 10-point loss to Houston, Lopez was glued to the bench again Sunday.

Lopez was 13-of-21 from the field in Friday’s game, but in the other three games he is shooting 12-of-40.

While Lopez struggles with his shot, those minutes have mostly gone to Andray Blatche. Blatche averaged eight points per game before the break but is shooting 18-of-33 and has grabbed 26 rebounds — six more than Lopez — in that stretch.

“You’d go crazy with the ‘what ifs’ and everything — run the play properly, what if our shots had gone down and theirs hadn’t,” Lopez said. “I mean there’s a million possibilities. And Dray is just as good a center offensively as I am and he’s perfectly capable of scoring.”

One possibility is pairing Lopez and Blatche together, which happened in the second quarter against Miami on Jan. 30.

“I definitely think that would be a great possibility,” Lopez said. “I’ve enjoyed the time we’ve played together. I think we play well with each other.”

“That was something that after the game was over last night, we got squeezed by Mirza [Teletovic],” Carlesimo said. “Mirza went in and played well and going into the last time when we went down to play them, it was something that we were going to look at and Hump played well. Reggie played well in the second half and we never got to it. Last night going into the game, it was something that we thought we would do and didn’t and that’s close to an ideal thing to do that we didn’t.”

Lopez’s nonexistent playing time in the fourth quarter Sunday led to him not talking to the media afterward, though he was hardly alone in that. Lopez seemed unsure of the postgame events when he explained himself Monday.

“I have no idea, honestly because Dray and I we’re usually the first ones out anyway. We dress quick and then we do our media and then we’re out anyway.  So I didn’t know everyone else left.”

Williams expects to play Tuesday

Point guard Deron Williams gave the thumbs up when asked about his bruised left calf and said he expects to play Tuesday.

Williams appeared to injure the calf on his drive late in Sunday’s game that was partially blocked by Tony Allen and did not generate a foul call.

“I feel better,” Williams said. “I feel like the break helped and the shots helped and it’s been a positive effect, and hopefully it continues to get better.”

Williams had his third round of cortisone injections in his ankles last Thursday and has had mixed results. He shot 5-of-17 Friday while settling for mostly jumpers, and then went 9-of-14 while attempting to be more aggressive Sunday.

“It’s not like I haven’t wanted to be aggressive, it’s just like my ankles wear down quarter by quarter and toward the end of the game, it’s like I have no lift,” Williams said. “That was the main thing, the first half of the season, was just that I’d push the ball the first quarter, the second quarter a little bit, the third quarter not much and the fourth quarter, it’s hard to. Now that they’re feeling better, I’m just gonna try to keep attacking and keep the pressure on.”

Johnson questionable for Tuesday

Carlesimo said he was encouraged by Joe Johnson’s shooting in practice but was not quite ready to say if his second-leading scorer would suit up Tuesday. The team officially said he is questionable with a sore left heel.

“I think we probably won’t know until tomorrow, but I was encouraged,” Carlesimo said. “He’s not jumping up and down but he’s moving around. He also did some dribble-move shots, certainly less than 100 percent, but I thought it went well. A lot of it is with a bruise is it going to flare up tonight or is going to flare up tomorrow? He may say it feels really good but he may not be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning. But I think we were encouraged by how Joe looked.”

Johnson has missed the last two games with the injury that initially flared up shortly before the All-Star break and the last thing he wants to do is return too early and make it worse.

“If I come back too soon maybe it could get worse,” Johnson said. “This is not something that I want to linger over to the postseason so we’re just trying to take care of it now.

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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Joe Johnson is dealing with a foot injury.
Credit: Getty Images

The good news for the Nets is Joe Johnson’s foot injury is not plantar fasciitis as they originally believed. The bad news is that his heel still remains sore, leaving him out for last night’s game against Memphis.

Johnson missed his second game with the sore left heel that flared up during last week’s games with Milwaukee after initially bothering him two weeks ago before the All-Star break.

“I’ve had plantar fasciitis, but this, I don’t think this is plantar fasciitis,” Johnson told reporters Saturday. “My heel is bruised badly. It was hard for me just to put my foot down, the heel of my foot on the ground. Today it wasn’t so.”

To help with the injury, Johnson has been receiving ice massage stimulation treatment and that seemed to help him participate in Saturday’s light practice.

Johnson had played in all 53 games before Friday is averaging 17 points and the team is hopeful he can suit up Tuesday in New Orleans.

Hollins addresses Evans comments

The Nets suffered one of their worst losses of the season on Jan. 25 when Memphis beat them by 25. In that game, the Grizzlies kept their starters on the court late in the game and in the waning moments, head coach Lionel Hollins reinserted starting center Marc Gasol into the game.

That move irked Nets forward Reggie Evans, who after the game expressed his displeasure.

“That was the point where it was like, wow. I was shocked,” Evans said that night. “I was real shocked to see him come back in. We won’t be forgetting, though. We’re definitely going to look forward to when that day comes when we play [Memphis again].”

A month after those comments, Evans changed his tone and wasn’t nearly as fired up about facing the team that held the Nets to one of their lowest point totals of the year.

Before last night’s game, Hollins spent a few minutes defending his move but not concerning himself with the previous comments made by Evans.

“This is what I say about all that stuff, when we’re getting beat, we were beaten by 20 three times in a row, the other team can do what they want when they’re up 20 points. It doesn’t matter,” Hollins said. “We don’t deserve any kind of courtesy and I wasn’t trying to leave my starters in the game. It just so happened they were in the game and I couldn’t get them out.

“Respect comes from going out there and battling and doing your job and competing and being in the game. We’ve been out of the game and we can’t say anything about what anyone does to that.”

As for the unwritten code some players may have, that didn’t cross the mind of Hollins, who played from 1975-1985 with the Trail Blazers, 76ers, Clippers, Pistons and Rockets.

“This is my theory on that. I play the game until in my mind we have the game in hand,” Hollins said. “I’ve been with teams that have taken out their starters and put subs in, not to lose, not to give up but to change the tempo.

“If you’re going to put your guys on the bench with 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter and you put a bunch of guys in and I have guys in that can’t score and you come back and I have to put my starters back in the game then I’m stupid. I have to do what I have to do in my mind to get us a win and when I feel like the game is hand, I take my starters out.”

Early for scoreboard watching

In baseball, players and managers often get asked about scoreboard watching late in the season. In a few weeks, the Nets may experience the same thing, especially since they came into last night just one game behind the Knicks for the Atlantic Division lead.

The Nets have had the same record as the Knicks just once and that was after both teams won their season openers. Since New York was 18-5 on Dec. 15, it has gone 14-15 while the Nets are 20-12 in the same period.

Interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo said the topic has come up in meetings, especially since winning a division likely nets homecourt advantage in the playoffs. However, he also feels it is too early, especially with 25 games remaining and just nine of them left at home.

“It’s too early,” he said. “There’s too many games left. Moving forward, we can look at it but I think until we are a lot deeper into it to talk about things like the division and standings.”

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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If the Nets need a big shot late in the game, they will not be diagramming a play for Joe Johnson.

Johnson missed his first game of the season against Houston with a sore left heel general manager Billy King said was caused by plantar fasciitis. Johnson was not at the team’s morning shootaround. King said the injury flared up after Johnson shot 3-of-14 and scored eight points in Wednesday’s 97-94 win at Milwaukee.

“They said a sore heel, but it’s the same thing,” King said. “It’s just plantar fasciitis.”

King said this was the first time Johnson had experienced this issue and he would have been active if this was a playoff game.

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the foot, which can be caused by the wear and tear of constantly running up and down the court and the injury time varies. For example, New York Knicks center Marcus Camby has missed two and a half months with the injury.

However, speaking on ESPN Radio earlier Friday, King categorized the injury as minor and anticipated Johnson will play Sunday against Memphis.

“It’s better than it was two days ago,” King said. “They’ve got him on medication and I expect him to be better tomorrow and we’ll see how it is Sunday.

“If it’s still tender and sore, we may keep him out, because it’s a marathon we’re trying to finish, not a sprint.”

Johnson has not missed a game since missing six of seven games for Atlanta from Feb. 22-March 7 with left knee tendinitis.

C.J. Watson, who is five inches shorter, started for Johnson. He also started twice in place of Deron Williams in the final two games before the All-Star break.

“It will be concern for two obvious reasons,” interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo said. “One, he’s such a good player, and two, I think we play him so many minutes, so it’s the same thing with Deron. He’s such a crucial player and to sit him out is going to have an impact on our team.”

Williams gets cortisone shots

A cortisone shot is one of the most common anti-inflammatory treatments in sports and for Williams it is being used to help him cope with the ankle issues that have bothered him this season.

He had cortisone shots in both ankles on Thursday after playing 78 minutes in back-to-back wins over Milwaukee the previous two nights.

It also was not the first time cortisone has been injected into Williams’s ankles. Williams said he had an injection before the season opener in late-October and again in late-December.

The ankles have bothered Williams since playing in the summer Olympics and besides rest the other solution is offseason surgery. Though the Nets can monitor his minutes, especially after Carlesimo said on ESPN Radio Thursday the point guard is not 100 percent, Williams does not want to shut it down.

“I mean, I’ve gotten frustrated some nights where I can’t do anything, can’t go anywhere, and it’s frustrating and that’s how you want to think, but I can’t do that,” Williams said to reporters at the morning shootaround in East Rutherford, N.J.

Besides inflammation and a bone spur, Williams has not had an extensive break in a while. He played in Turkey during the lockout, played 55 games last season and then 145 minutes in eight Olympic Games in London.

“The problem was I haven’t had a break in a long time,” Williams said. “I was doing plyometrics, box jumps this summer for the first time. I lifted heavier than I’ve ever lifted, and so I think all the wear and tear is what’s caused the inflammation and I haven’t had a break to get it out. It’s just gotten worse and worse. It didn’t feel as bad because I wasn’t playing back-to-backs and four in five nights, then we got to the season [and] it just kept getting worse and worse because you have less and less rest.”

King talks trade deadline

King spent most of the trade deadline fielding phone calls from other general managers, which was a change from the previous two years when conversations with Portland and Utah led to the trades for Gerald Wallace and Williams.

King reiterated that the 10 percent chance of him making a deal remained the same and that he enjoyed seeing the rumors linking the Nets to players such as Josh Smith and Ben Gordon.

The only move King can now make is to sign a player who gets waived by March 1. King hinted that the Nets may use their open roster spot on a veteran or on a young player for developmental purposes.

One player that was never considered was Kenyon Martin, the former Net forward who signed a 10-day contract with the Knicks Thursday.

“If you look at it, we have five big guys and we can barely get enough minutes as it is now,” King said.

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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With less than 30 seconds left in a close game, there is one man the Nets want with the ball.

Joe Johnson forced overtime with a 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds remaining in regulation, and also gave the Nets a 113-111 victory over the Bucks with a mid-range jumper at the overtime buzzer.

“I just try to do a good job and try to get space and make the best play possible,” Johnson said. “My teammates [have] the utmost confidence [in me] in the huddle. The coaches and I just try to come through in big moments like that.

“I’m thinking of how they’re going to play me or what I’m going to do. But at the end of the day when I get the basketball it’s instinct, it’s reaction.”

Johnson scored 24 points and his two big shots made him 8-of-9 in the last 30 seconds of games with the margin three points or less. He hit a buzzer-beating shot in December against Detroit in double-overtime which bore a resemblance to the one Tuesday night.

Ironically, Johnson hit a 35-footer right after the Nets called timeout, but once play resumed, there was little doubt where the ball was headed. After Keith Bogans inbounded, he gave it to Johnson, who began a slight drive on Luc Mbah a Moute before crossing him over and pulling up for the jumper near the foul line.

“It was one of our normal out-of-bounds plays,” interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo said. “Give the ball to Joe and get out of the way.”

“He just drew the play up and told me to go get a bucket,” Johnson said. “My teammates were telling me, ‘Joe, come on let’s go.’”

When the ball went in, the Nets ended a 13-game losing streak to the Bucks that dated back to when Vince Carter was in the starting lineup in March 2009. It also made Johnson 4-for-4 on shots occurring with less than 10 seconds remaining in games.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Johnson said. “Regardless of the situation whether it’s the regular season or playoffs, it’s always a great feeling and just to see everybody kind of explode and the excitement in the building is probably the best feeling.”

Johnson got the nickname “Iso-Joe” for the isolation plays run for him in Atlanta, and in four instances those same plays have worked out well for the Nets.

He began his run of clutch shots by hitting a jumper over Tayshaun Prince on Dec. 14 at the end of double overtime. That was followed by an 18-footer with 0.7 seconds left in double overtime at Washington on Jan. 4 and a pull-up jumper with 22 seconds to play at New York on Jan. 21.

“He’s like everybody knew that Michael [Jordan] was getting the ball in Chicago [for] the last play,” Nets forward Gerald Wallace said. “Everybody knew Joe was getting the ball. He just makes plays. I think the biggest thing that a lot of people don’t understand about Joe is that you can’t rattle him; you can’t get him out of his game. He gets the shot that he’s going to want to get.”

“You get used to it here,” point guard Deron Williams added. “You definitely get used to it.”

Johnson’s two big shots came on a night that saw Williams score 19 points and hand out nine assists in his return from ankle inflammation. Williams also had six turnovers, including an offensive foul with eight seconds left in regulation that forced Johnson to hit his first big shot.

Williams also struggled defensively against Brandon Jennings, who was among the reasons why the Nets blew a 15-point first half lead and needed Johnson’s heroics. Jennings scored 23 of his 34 points after halftime but did not score after regulation and missed a short jumper with 12 seconds left that would have given the Bucks a 113-111 lead.

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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The first year in Brooklyn has been interesting for the Nets.

The calendar year started with Avery Johnson winning Eastern Conference Coach of the Year after an 11-4 start and ended with him being fired when the team was at .500 on Dec. 27.

Since P.J. Carlesimo took over on an interim basis, the Nets have won 17 of 25 games, the team’s second-best record after a midseason coaching change. Carlesimo noted before the Nets headed into the break with a win last Wednesday that he would like to see more consistency.

Metro grades the team’s first half:

P.J. Carlesimo head coach:  The Nets have responded well to the former Seton Hall head man. They have averaged 96 points and shot 44.5 percent while making 36.2 percent of their 3-pointers in the last 25 games. In the first 28 games, those numbers were 94.5, 43.8 and 34.4 respectively. The only flaw is some of the blowout losses, but those have been countered by strong responses in subsequent games. Grade: A-

Deron Williams, guard: Williams averaged 21 points in his first full season with the Nets last year,but that number has dipped to 16.7 points this season, his lowest since 2006-07. He is also shooting just 41.3 percent. Ankle issues may be the cause, but the Nets are hoping eight days in between games will help their $100 million man. Grade:  C

Joe Johnson, guard: Durable and steady would be the best way to describe Johnson’s first 53 games as a Net. Despite shooting 42.4 percent, Johnson has been in double figures in 50 games and is responsible for two game-winning shots on Dec. 14 vs. Detroit and Jan. 21 at New York. Grade: B

Reggie Evans, forward: Evans’s sole purpose is to get rebounds and his average of 9.2 per game (10.5 as a starter) is suitable enough to compensate for his limited offense. Grade B

Gerald Wallace, forward: Wallace is averaging under double digits in points per game (8.9) for the first time since 2003-04 and has missed 10 games with injuries. Even with reduced numbers and minutes, his vocal presence in the locker room and on the court is a significant asset. Grade B-

Brook Lopez, center: Lopez has gone from being dangled in the Dwight Howard trade talks to taking the next step teams look for from lottery picks. He leads NBA centers in scoring and improved his defense by being sixth in blocks His best season has resulted in a much-deserved All-Star selection. His impact was felt when the team lost five of seven games with him injured in December. Grade: A+

Andray Blatche, forward: Blatche was signed to a low-risk contract, which was due to his past history in Washington. For someone on that type of deal, production of 10 points per game and 48.6 percent shooting is more than acceptable. Grade: A

Kris Humphries, forward: Career highs of 13.8 points and 11 rebounds per game last season prompted the Nets to re-sign Humphries to a two-year, $24 million contract. So far, Humphries has been a disappointment. He lost his starting job in December and has yet to distinguish himself enough to earn it back. Grade: C-

Keith Bogans, guard: He averages just 4.2 points per game, but is consistent enough that he is trustworthy, especially from the perimeter late in games. Grade: B

Marshon Brooks, guard: Brooks has had his moments (13 points vs. Chicago, 15 vs. Sacramento and 17 vs. Phoenix) but seems to be on the fringe of the rotation as he has played at least 20 minutes just five times. Grade: C-

C.J. Watson, guard: Like Brooks, Watson has had his moments (25 points Wednesday vs. Denver) but has not quite been as consistent as the Nets would like. Grade: C

Jerry Stackhouse, forward: The former 29.8 points per game scorer played well when given minutes early on. Stackhouse has not played in the last eight games and his contributions will likely be limited the rest of the way. Grade: C

Mirza Teltovic, forward: The fact that the Nets have several veteran big men ahead of him has kept him glued to the bench more often but he has shown potential in small doses. Grade: C

Tyshawn Taylor, guard: The rookie from Hoboken, N.J. has had limited chances to play so the jury is out. The good was a 12-point, 35-minute showing in last week’s overtime win at Indiana. But like many first-year players, especially second-round picks, he remains a work in progress. Grade: Incomplete

Tornike Shengelia, guard: It’s hard to judge someone who has not received more than 12 minutes in any game this season. He had a few big games in the D-League, but like Taylor he remains a work in progress. Grade: Incomplete

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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C.J. Watson’s nickname is the “Quiet Storm,” but his performance was hardly silent for the Nets.

Neither was Joe Johnson’s and when the Nets needed big plays down the stretch, they got them.

Watson scored a season-high 23 points and Johnson had 26 points and nine assists as the Nets held off a fourth-quarter charge by the Nuggets in last night’s 119-108 victory.

“C.J. was unbelievable,” Nets interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo said. “He played so well. He hit so many big shots.”

Watson came into the game 2-of-20 from the field over his last four games, a stretch that included a 0-of-7 night starting for injured point guard Deron Williams in Monday’s overtime win at Indiana. He was benched in that game as Tyshawn Taylor got a career-high 35 minutes in the game. But Wednesday night belonged to Watson.

“Well when you have one of your key guys out, I think it motivates guys to really step up and play a little harder [and] guys that really haven’t played as much tend to come in and play big minutes and be successful,” Johnson said.

His struggles ended early as he had 10 points by halftime and the Nets had a 62-57 lead. After shooting 4-of-6 in the first half, Watson hit his new season high of 19 points when he made an open 3-pointer in front of Brooklyn’s bench with 3:58 remaining after taking a pass from Johnson.

Watson’s fourth 3-pointer put the Nets ahead 86-66. On their next possession, Watson found Johnson for a 3-pointer that gave the Nets their second 20-point lead.

“I think we were just making open shots,” Watson said in his on-court interview with the YES Network. “Joe was getting doubled for the most part. We were swinging the ball and knocking down 3-point shots tonight.”

The performance by Watson was part of a 24-9 run to start the quarter and also part of a period that saw the Nets outscore Denver 33-24 while shooting 65.7 percent (11-of-17).

Watson and Johnson were a combined 18-of-31 from the field. The backcourt duo also went a combined 10-of-16 from 3-point range and combined for 15 assists.

Watson had his highest-scoring game since a 33-point game on Nov. 26, 2010 at Denver while playing for Chicago. He also set a career-high with five 3-pointers and reached double figures for the first time since Jan. 23 at Minnesota and eighth time this season.

“His minutes have gone down but he was looking for his shot and shooting aggressively, which is great” Carlesimo said. “He also did a good job executing pick-and-rolls and getting Joe the ball.”

Watson and Johnson show were not the only potent duo for the Nets, who shot 54.7 percent and had a season high in points. Brook Lopez had 23 points and eight rebounds while reserve Kris Humphries added 14 points as the Nets turned in a second straight quality win after Sunday’s embarrassing 29-point second half against San Antonio.

“I’m really, really proud,” Carlesimo said. “When we left here Sunday night, we weren’t feeling too good coming off a pretty poor half where the Spurs just dominated us.”

Unlike the Spurs on Sunday night, the Nets didn’t quite finish off the Nuggets until the the midway point of the fourth quarter. Denver was within 104-98 on JaVale McGree’s put-back dunk with 7:19 remaining, but did not get any closer, partially due to Watson, who scored six points in the fourth.

After McGee’s dunk, Watson hit a foul shot, gained possession after Lopez won a jump ball from Ty Lawson and hit a high-arching floater through traffic with 5:48 remaining. After picking up his fifth foul, rookie Tyshawn Taylor replaced him and hit an open 3-pointer from the left side opposite the Denver bench for a 110-98 edge with 5:05 to play.

“We know teams are going to make a run on us, which they did tonight,” Johnson said. “But we got back in the ballgame and at the same time, we kept our composure, ran our offense and got to the free-throw line when we needed to. We made big plays.”

Follow Nets beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher for news and updates throughout the games.

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