CLEVELAND – The way the Nets beat Cleveland Wednesday night was how they envisioned winning games only with Brook Lopez playing the role of Kris Humphries.

The Nets got an All-Star type of performance from Devin Harris, who played as if he wasn’t going to let them lose. They got hot shooting from Anthony Morrow and big plays from backup guard Jordan Farmar.

Derrick Favors made an impact with his rebounding and defense. And the Nets got dominant play inside in the form of a 13-point, 18-rebound, two-block performance, but it wasn’t from Lopez.

It was Humphries, who played just seven minutes two games ago and eight minutes Tuesday, who was on the court for 40 minutes and helped lead the Nets to a much-needed 95-87 victory over the Cavaliers to snap a five-game losing streak.

It was Humphries, starting in place of the injured Troy Murphy, who performed the way the Nets hoped Lopez would, especially after this week-long funk he’s been in. But Lopez had another bad night, finishing with as many fouls as points (four) and marking the fifth straight time he wasn’t the Nets’ leading scorer.

This is hardly what the Nets expected from the player they have called a cornerstone, but few cared on this night because they won the game. They won the game with Lopez doing more watching in the fourth quarter. They won with Johan Petro matching Lopez’s field goal total of one.

For the Nets to have any kind of success, this can’t continue and you have to believe that it won’t. Lopez will find his rhythm, find ways to stay on the floor and make plays. He’s too good of a player not to, but it’s fair to start wondering whether he’s as good as the Nets and the media have touted him.

It’s up to Lopez to prove that he is. He could learn from Humphries

The veteran big man plays the same way every game. He may not always have the same success. But when he doesn’t get down if he misses a shot.

Humphries walks into the game you know exactly what you’re going to get from him: all-out effort, some banging inside, a presence on the boards and some shots you wish he wouldn’t take.

But when Humphries is dominating the boards the way he was and making sure he contests shots when opponents drive, or gives them a hard foul, it makes up for some of those shots. He hit some big ones in this game, including all three he took in the fourth period.

“I was able to get in a rhythm defensively and rebound the ball,” Humphries said. “I just felt in the flow. I know at times we’re called to come in and out and provide energy. Sometimes you don’t always get consistent minutes. When you do it’s easier.”

Humphries should have solidified his spot in the Nets’ rotation with this effort and his 13-point night in Orlando over the weekend. The future may be Derrick Favors and you don’t want to take away minutes from him. But Humphries deserves to play more.

It said here and in the IntheZzone Blog before the season that he should start at power forward instead of Joe Smith when Murphy was rehabbing from a back injury. It also said in those two places that Humphries should be the backup center.

This is not a slight on Smith or Petro. But Humphries is the type of player who can make an impact with his hard work and toughness and anyone who has watched the Nets these recent years knows those are things they have been lacking.

“When Humphries is in there, people don’t drive down there so enthusiastically,” Johnson said.

Humphries won’t give you 13 and 18 every night. Just like Lopez won’t have as many fouls as points or field goals as Petro every night. If so, the Nets are in trouble.

But they survived it last night because of Harris’ desire and leadership, Morrow’s hot shooting and Humphries doing the dirty work.

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Coach’s Corner

“It was a big-time bounce-back effort. We really picked it up there the latter part of the third and onto the fourth. Defensively we just got stops. We had some really special individual performances with Kris Humphries leading the parade.”

- Avery Johnson on the Nets beating Cleveland one night after losing to them.

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Follow me on Twitter: @Al_Iannazzone

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