The Nets competed. Again. They held a first-half lead against one of the league’s best teams, relying mostly on a pound-the-paint inside game and some miscues by Cleveland’s offense. Despite an all-reserve lineup to open the fourth quarter, they held court, making this a full 48-minute game that required a full 48-minute effort.

But they lost. Again. The same issues that have plagued the Nets all year came to a head again in the second half: the team couldn’t defend the perimeter, allowing Kevin Love to hit multiple open above-the-break three-pointers to help the Cavaliers regain the lead.

They didn’t have the talent to match up with LeBron, who isolated on the last play and put up a clean floater with one second left to ice the game.

It didn’t come into play on the last few plays, but the Cavaliers hit five more three-pointers on ten more attempts, which made a difference. Hollins spoke about those pregame.

“Can’t shoot 11 or 12 threes in a game when the other team is taking 34, 35 threes,” Hollins said. They don’t have to have a great percentage to outdo you then. It’s something that, it just is. I don’t talk about it or anything like that, we shoot them in practice and you’ve just got to go play with what you have and who you are and not worry about all that other stuff.”

The Nets are now 3-13. If there’s any silver lining to the First Month Of Doom, it’s that it’s now over. After spending most of the first 16 games on the road playing playoff teams, eight of their next nine games come at Barclays Center, with the ninth just across the river at Madison Square Garden. Cumulative travel can take a toll, moreso when a team is already an underdog, and fatigue could have played some factor in their issues executing late in games.

But they leave Cleveland with nothing but a slew of moral victories to cling to after the first brutal month.