Improved ‘D’ leads to more wins for Nets

OKLAHOMA CITY — No matter how much the Nets scored in the first half of games last season, they typically still lost because they were sieves on defense. They didn’t start winning until they started guarding.

It appears they had to learn the same lesson again this year — but at least they’ve learned it a little earlier this time around.

Despite an offense that has sputtered over the past month, the Nets have still managed to play much better since the calendar flipped to 2018 — and it’s in direct correlation with shoring up a leaky defense.

“When you look at the stats, we’re a much better defensive team than offensive team. Much like last year, we’re improving defensively,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I think we have the right schemes in place. Sometimes, the energy is not there [like the Jan. 10] Detroit game. But generally, I’ve been pleased with the defense.

“I think our offense needs to improve. It starts with taking care of the ball and better shot selection, and that’s going to be huge ... We’ve got to be able to take care of it.”

The Nets will come into Tuesday’s game against the Thunder a modest 18-29. But after closing out 2017 just 13-23 after a New Year’s Eve loss in Boston, they’ve gone a more respectable 5-6 since, thanks to tightening up their defense.

The Nets ranked 23rd in defensive rating after that Dec. 31 loss to the Celtics, or eighth-worst. But in the games since they’ve been fourth, and the Nets are confident that’s an upward trend that can continue.

“You’re finding your identity,” Atkinson said. “Players are finding their roles at the end of games. It’s big growth. It really helps us with our confidence. Again, I liked our defense [lately]. That’s an identity we have to have is getting stops because I don’t think the offense was great. It was aver- age to below average, so to keep getting stops [is important].”

That recent span includes grind-it-out victories over playoff contenders Minnesota and Miami, both of which the Nets had to pull out on the defensive end, because their offense was scattershot at best.

The Nets are optimistic getting D’Angelo Russell back from arthroscopic knee surgery will provide a boost, not unlike the spark Jeremy Lin provided when they finished 11-15 last year following Lin’s return from hamstring problems.

Russell — who has come off the bench in the wins over Detroit and Miami since returning — had been averaging a team-high 20.9 points before missing over two months with a knee injury.