GOLDEN CRUEL
The Nets did everything right for the first half against Golden State. They played withering defense, got solid starts from Brook Lopez and Jeremy Lin, and had their biggest halftime lead of the season — against the league’s best team. It wasn’t close to enough. That’s how bad their third quarter was, and that’s how great the Warriors’ comeback was, rallying for a 117-101 in front of a sellout crowd of 17,732 at Barclays Center, including Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov.
The Russian billionaire left without comment when approached by The Post. And frankly, what was there to say after watching his Nets (7-21) blow a 16-point halftime lead by being outscored 39-19 in the third quarter? And knowing they’re on to Cleveland on Friday to face LeBron James and the defending champs.
“They brought out a lot more energy than we did, and we started playing selfishly. We got away with what was working,’’ Nets guard Sean Kilpatrick said of their thirdquarter collapses “It’s got to change if we want to make a push.”
Brooklyn’s turnover woes and third-quarter issues are hardly secrets. The Warriors (26-4) knew they could turn up the pressure and turn over the Nets, which they did 26 times for 32 points.
“We played with more force to start the second half,’’ said Kevin Durant, who had 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. “After the break we just regrouped, reset and were physical with them. We knew this team would turn the ball over. We got some turnovers and got some easy points.
“We were all positive coming into the locker room. No pointing fingers, none of that stuff. We knew it was just a matter of time. It’s a young team. They’re getting better every game, but we knew at some point they’d let us back in it.” Oh, the Nets did exactly that. After bouncing back from their humbling non-effort in Toronto, they took a quick 20-12 lead mid- way through the first quarter. And even after Golden State called timeout and answered with a 16-6 run to take the lead, Brooklyn didn’t flinch and seized a 65-49 lead at the break, tied for their biggest of the season.
Apparently they needed to make it 26. Or 36.
The Nets got outscored 39-19 in the third, turning the ball over an unsightly 11 times to hand Golden State 17 points.
“Somehow we have to figure out when teams do turn up their juice … that we’re ready to handle it,’’ said coach Kenny Atkinson.
“They came real hard at one point and trapped. They trapped real hard that one play and I threw it away and that’s completely on me,’’ said Lopez, who had a gamehigh 28 points but just five in the second half.
Coming out of the locker room, Golden State started doubling Lopez and turning up the pressure on the ball. The Nets coughed the ball up five times and missed a 3 in their first six possessions to spark a 12-0 Golden State run.
Zaza Pachulia’s layup and Durant’s finger-roll tied it at 70, and Thompson’s 3 off a Durant feed put Golden State ahead 73-70. The Warriors led 88-84 after three.
It reached 103-91 after back-to- back Shaun Livingston baskets, and eventually hit 18.
“They started doubling pick-and-rolls and doubling Brook in the post. That’s what caused us to slow down a little bit. That was a good change in scheme,’’ said Lin, who had 10 points, 11 assists and eight boards but five turnovers. “They put two on the ball and we ended up getting turnovers.”