The Nets returned to their old ways on Monday night, and by that we don’t a few years ago when they would win games.

After two games in which they fought hard, and battled both the T-Wolves and Rockets to the final seconds, the Nets let Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder run away with a 105-89 victory. The operative word is run.

Like the old days –- two weeks ago -– when the opposition made their run the Nets didn’t have a response and the game got away quickly.

"I don't know whether we ran out of gas or they turned it up," coach Kiki Vandweghe said. "We’ve got to find a way to push through that last 12-15 minutes when they make runs."

It was a little of both.

The Thunder, behind a season-high tying 40 points from Durant, turned up their game. And the Nets seemed to run out something. I wouldn't say gas, as they lost their tenth straight.

There seemed to be a collective frustration, a body language that said 'here we go again.'
What the Nets needed to do was take a stand. Instead they did what they usually do –- back down.

It was a one-point game with 3:40 left in the third period. It was a 16-point Thunder lead with 6:01 left in the fourth. That’s how quickly things go badly for the Nets, and it’s happened time and time again.

"When the jump shots are not falling and we’re not getting the calls, with a young team like we have, it’s tough to overcome," Devin Harris said.

"We stopped doing the things that kept us competing, which was taking it to the rim," Vandeweghe remarked. "We did a good job of swinging the ball, taking it to the basket, attacking the rim and we started settling for jump shots. That’s a tough lesson to learn when you’re in the game. It’s a winnable game for you and then you let them start off with a run like that."

It all comes back to how the Nets respond. They didn’t have huge runs, but they scored nine unanswered to pull ahead by two in the third quarter.

They knew Durant and his team would do something to pick up their play. Yet the Nets didn't counter.

Over an 11:49 stretch, the Nets shot 3-for-17 and committed four turnovers. Twelve of those attempts were jump shots from at least 10-feet away. On the contrary, the Thunder were taking it to the basket, drawing fouls.

They played with the confidence the Nets lack, but it’s understandable because Oklahoma City is a playoff contender in the Western Conference with a winning record overall and on the road.

The Thunder know how to handle runs, how to answer them, how to play hard and smart at the same time. The Nets still are learning how to do all of that.

"We were all upset in that fourth quarter and we were all upset at the end of the game," Vandeweghe said. "Winnable game and they took off at a certain point and we didn’t stay with them for whatever reason.

"Lots of reasons you could use. Durant’s awful good. He creates things. They tightened up the defense. They’re one of the highest-rated defensive teams in the league. None of that matters. We have to find a way to push through and find a way to keep competing throughout the fourth quarter."

Thirty-one games into the season the Nets still haven’t figured out how. It’s no wonder 29 of those games have ended in defeat.

Al Iannazzone covers the Nets for The Record (Bergen County, N.J.)