More up-and-downs than an elevator in this one: the Nets started hot, cooled off in the second, got red-hot in the third quarter on both ends, went up by 16, nearly gave the game away in the fourth quarter, and barely clawed it out on the back of Joe Johnson’s free throws.

It’s the Knicks, who are bad. So you have to adjust for that fact. But the Nets delivered for about a quarter and a half, leading by as much as 16 at one point before some porous defense helped the Knicks cut the lead to just three points late.

They closed it out. Joe Cool beat Iso-Melo. But man, they never quite make it easy, do they?

Brook Lopez

B+

The stats: 23 PTS (19 IN 1ST HALF), 8 REB, 2 AST, 3 BLK

Nothing solves an offensive problem like playing the Knicks’ big men. They didn’t even need Andrea Bargnani to let Lopez go off for 19 points and five rebounds in the first half alone. Some solid defense, including a key late block.

Still not 100% when it comes to catching and moving, but today was a step forward, not a step back.