Focused Nets wallop Wizards in road rout

WASHINGTON — Amid all the Kyrie Irving drama, Kevin Durant said the Nets want to focus on basketball and be the best version of themselves they could be.

Friday, the Nets were the best version of themselves for the first time this season, and it resulted in one of the biggest road routs in franchise history.

In their first game without the suspended Irving, the Nets dominated the Wizards for a 128-86 victory at Capital One Arena.

The margin of victory tied their biggest ever in a road game and was their largest over Washington since Jan. 16, 2002, during a season in which the Nets reached the NBA Finals.

“[With] all the outside noise and everything, it’s tough,” Royce O’Neale said. “We just had to ... keep the focus on the game and keep our game plan and discipline to come out and execute to get to the win.”

Durant did it all for the Nets, with 28 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. He extended his streak of made free throws to 51 before he got a well-deserved rest late.

Unlike so many of their early season losses, this time the Nets actually gave their franchise player some help. They pushed the pace more, thrived in early offense and shot 55.6 percent, 14-for-28 from deep, as seven players finished in double figures.

Nic Claxton had 18 points, nine boards and three blocks. O’Neale and Cam Thomas stepped up their playmaking duties, with eight and six assists respectively. Thomas also finished with 17 points.

But what was most impressive were the Nets’ energy and defense.

“It’s huge. We talked this morning about really having a choice. And, being able to support each other with our feelings, with our effort, being there for each other,” interim coach Jacque Vaughn said. “We showed we were there for each other . ... We really toughed it out winning [this] game. Not any more complicated than that.”

Playing small — using 6-foot-8, 214-pound Yuta

Watanabe at center at times — the Nets swarmed, rotated and helped. In the end, they held Washington to 36.6 percent shooting. Watanabe had 14 points, eight boards and several key plays.

“Really a dedicated effort,” Vaughn said. “You saw, multiple times, multiple effort from guys where they are coming over from the low man than scrambling out and still making contests. When you are small, you have to make multiple efforts.”

Durant had the highlight of the night when he sent the Wizards’ Daniel Gafford into a split and canned a pull-up jumper to cap a 29-11 run.

That put the Nets up, 38-26, with 27.2 seconds left in the first quarter.

Their lead shrank to one at 58-57 in the second quarter, but the Nets closed the half on an 11-0 run. Then they blew it open in the second half.

They saw that lead shrink to one at 58-57, but closed the half on an 11-0 run. Then they blew it open with a 59-29 edge over the Wizards in the second half.

Best version, indeed.