A foot in the door — ultimately, that’s all you ask for.

A chance, an opportunity, a moment to shine. Anything and everything, the Brooklyn Nets wanted to take advantage. And in Game 1, they did, torching Philadelphia’s homecourt advantage from the opening tip, all before getting crushed on the same floor a few days later. Still, they’d done their job heading home to Barclays Center — steal a game and that creeky door leans just a bit more open.

But since then, the off-court madness has only spiced up matters further. Joel Embiid may or may not have intentionally laughed during his apology for elbowing Jarrett Allen — of note, he offered a longer version during pre-game — and Jared Dudley and Ben Simmons had their own public back-and-forth as well. With the Nets looking to prove that they belong, Game 3 loomed as a pivotal moment in series. And then, shockingly, Embiid was ruled out just minutes before the game began.

Consider that proverbial door completely blown open — but only if they could take advantage.

With Embiid shelved, the Nets worked from the inside out, focusing on Allen against former Brooklyn legend Greg Monroe. Although D’Angelo Russell started at a 1-for-5 clip, the rockingly loud arena attempted to push the gritty Nets through the opening frame and then some. DeMarre Carroll and Ben Simmons traded early buckets, the latter of which was booed every time he touched the ball, and the visitors began to pull away. Early turnovers — as if on cue — hurt the Nets’ offensive efforts, but Allen looked hungry and willing to do the tough work against Boban Marjanovic and the aforementioned Monroe.

If all eyes were on Embiid, Simmons and Russell pre-game, then the second quarter belonged to Caris LeVert. Using his deep bag of tricks, LeVert cut and hacked his way into a handful of mini-floaters. 14 straight points. Fourteen. Dragging the Nets all the way back, LeVert got hot from deep too. It goes without saying, but after it looked like LeVert’s career was in jeopardy, it will never get tiring to watch the shifty slasher fill-it-all-up in a flash. Once LeVert went to the bench, Russell gladly picked up the mantle.

But for one smokin’ hot LeVert, the 76ers countered with a smokin’ hot Tobias Harris. Despite haymaker after haymaker — and although never ahead — the Nets always managed to stay just within reach.

Alas, just as it went in Game 2, the good times would not keep rolling into the third quarter. J.J. Redick and Tobias Harris, potentially awarded more shots in lieu of Embiid, continued to beat the Nets at every turn. Joe Harris, the NBA’s most efficient three-point shooter, had been quiet in the series — but this time around, he was crushed defensively too. The electric Redick, who finished with just five points in the series opener, went supernova and hit four three-pointers with ease, only countered by a much-needed Dinwiddie four-point play. 

Heading into the final frame, 97-90, Philadelphia lagged ahead.

Russell, after sitting for most of the third quarter, came out firing in the fourth. After two tough makes and a bold three-pointer, Brooklyn had the lead down to six. If the Nets have taught us anything in 2018-19, it’s that they know how to take a punch and keep on rolling. Russell’s 11 consecutive points — with the added bonus of Marjanovic’s dismissal — gave the Nets hope, but they failed to get meaningful stops for most of the quarter.

In the end, it was too little, too late.

Simmons was a force. Redick was a force. Harris was a force.

Even without Embiid, that’s just too much firepower for the Nets to handle. Hard-fought, per usual, but it wasn’t meant to be. At moments, the offense has looked good in this series — maybe even great. But that defense, ugly. Against an elite squad like Philadelphia, that’s a recipe for disaster over and over and over again.

Unfortunately for the Nets, they’ve only got two overs left in the season at this rate.

As for that foot in the door? Slammed shut. That fleeting opportunity? Stamped out.

Back to the drawing board, where the Nets will hurriedly search for that team that took the country by surprise in Game 1.

Until then, this series is on life support.