The Nets showed some of the things they promised before the season began in last night's 104-95 win over the Knicks.

They played defense, scored in transition, had energy for 48 minutes, outworked and outhustled their opponent. It also helped that they had their starting five playing together for the first time since Oct. 30.

Maybe this is the start of something. It definitely was the end of a couple of things: their 10-game losing streak and their 2009 schedule. It was a crazy year and decade for them.

Top 10 Stories of the Year

0-18: The record-setting start could stand for a long time, but it was an imperfect storm – a bad offseason trade, rash of injuries, swine flu and two buzzer-beating losses - that led to the imperfect start.

Vince Carter traded: You knew it was coming because of the direction the Nets were headed, but they should have gotten more for their best player and shouldn’t have had to get rid of Ryan Anderson.

Lawrence Frank Fired: The Nets’ all-time NBA leader in wins and losses started his career with a 13-game winning streak and ended his New Jersey tenure on a 17-game skid.

Russian owner: Mikhail Prokhorov purchased majority ownership of the Nets and is expected to put his money into winning and not a new building and relocation project.

Devin Harris benched: When Frank sat Harris and Carter for the second half of the Celtics’ game last season it had a lasting effect on the Nets’ point guard, a lasting effect.

Standing pat: After finishing 14 games below .500 last year, the Nets made no moves in free agency – none. They couldn’t spend because of the pending ownership change, but none?

Miracle shot: The Nets were about to lose to the Sixers when Harris took an inbounds pass, lost the ball, regained it and flung it from halfcourt over a backpedaling Andre Iguodala and in for the win.

The All-Star: Harris was rewarded for his breakout first half last season with his first All-Star berth.

No Malice in the Palace: It happened on New Year’s Eve 2008, but spilled over into 2009. Carter lost his cool and was ejected after official Derrick Stafford called him “boy.” The league acknowledged it. Carter hit the buzzer-beating game-winner in the Nets’ next game against Atlanta, after which Frank said, “Only Vince Carter does that,” and later that month Stafford apologized to Carter.

Swine flu: Chris Douglas-Roberts becomes the first known NBA player to have contracted the H1N1 virus in November.

What you won’t read in 2010:

LeBron James takes less money to sign with Nets. (Or Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson)

Kiki Vandeweghe decides he likes being coach and wants to stay on the bench

Bruce Ratner has a change of heart and wants to put his money back into the Nets and make them a winner

Jason Kidd requests a trade from the Dallas Mavericks and puts the Nets on the top of his wish list

***

On the YES pregame show, we went over some of best of the decade for the Nets. In case you missed it here are some of the things we discussed:

Games of the Decade
1. Nets advance to Round 2 with Double OT win in Game 5 against the Reggie Miller and the Pacers in 2002

2. Nets beat Pistons in 3 OTs in Palace in Game 5 of the 2003 East Semis behind Brian Scalabrine’s career-best 17-point game

3. Suns beat Nets 161-157 in 2 OTs on Dec. 7 2006, despite 38 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists from Kidd.

Play of the Decade
There were so many involving Kidd, especially against the Knicks during the good years and you can point to the Carter game-winning 3 in Toronto in 2006 when Kidd jumped on his head or the Carter alley-oop last year in Toronto. It’s a tough call. But here are three that stood out:

1. Kerry Kittles game-winning three-pointer in Game 3 against the Pacers in 2002 with 22.5 seconds left: Nets may lose series if not for that and their whole history changes.

2. Kidd’s game-winning fadeaway jumper with 1.4 seconds to go in Game 1 of the 2003 East Finals at Detroit: The captain was off that night, but not on that shot.

3. Rodney Rogers rebounds his missed free throw and hits 20-footer with two seconds left in 2003 Round 1, Game 3 in Milwaukee: It starts the 10-game winning streak that propels Nets to second NBA Finals

Best Draft Pick of the 2000s
1. Kenyon Martin
2. Richard Jefferson
3. Brook Lopez

Coach of the Decade
1. Byron Scott
2. Lawrence Frank

Nets All-Decade Team
PG – Kidd
SG – Carter
C – Brook Lopez
PF – Kenyon Martin
SF – Richard Jefferson

Player of the Decade
Kidd, of course.

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