Avery Johnson couldn’t answer the question before the game and couldn’t stick around for the whole game.

The Nets coach lost his cool and was thrown out of Wednesday’s 106-92 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers for arguing. But his team’s performance contributed mightily to Johnson’s first technicals and ejection as Nets coach.

If it was a tight game, Johnson may not have run onto the court and right at young official Brent Barnaky after Devin Harris didn’t get a call in the third quarter. But Johnson wanted to incite his team because for stretches of this game they looked as if they were running in mud. Other stretches they appeared to be running in concrete.

The Nets’ lackluster performance was predictable, which was why Johnson was asked about it pregame. This team cannot handle whatever prosperity they enjoy.

Look at their season and look at how they’ve played the Sixers.

There are at least six instances now when the Nets either challenge one of the NBA’s best teams or beat them and then don’t play with the same passion the next game against a lesser team. In other words, the Nets can get up for the big games and not games against sub-.500 teams.

In November, they played Boston close in Boston and the next game were crushed by the Sixers. In December, the Nets lost a triple-OT game to Oklahoma City that they should have won. Their next game, they couldn’t score and lost in Charlotte.

Later in December, they were in the game against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers down the stretch. The next game they scored 77 points in a half-hearted performance against the Sixers and lost.

In early January, the Nets beat the Bulls. The next game the Nets were trounced by 20 by the Wizards. During their prior homestand, they lost to Dallas by one. The next game, Cleveland led them for most of the game, but the Nets finally played hard and smart in the fourth period and pulled out the win.

On Monday, the Nets scored a significant win over Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets. Who’s next on the Nets schedule? The Sixers again.

With all of this a part of their past, we asked Johnson if the Nets’ recent home success gave him the belief that they would play differently this game.

“I’ll let you know at 10,” Johnson said.

He said he was concerned, but obviously he was hoping the trend wouldn’t continue. 

Johnson or anyone else didn’t need until 10 to learn the answer to that question.

The Nets were down 15-5 and other than three one-point leads in the second quarter, this game was all Philadelphia.

They led by as many as 21. They had 35 fastbreak points. They were up double-digits for 22:13 of the 24 second-half minutes.

"It is surprising,” Brook Lopez said. “We’ll play against Denver, Dallas, L.A. give them all good games and come out and we have to fight for games against these other teams.

“We’ve got to come in like we’re the underdogs every game. Avery has said that constantly. We’re not entitled to anything. We’ve got to fight for every win.”

You would think the Nets would know this by now. This was Game 50 in their season and they’ve lost 35 times. There is no excuse for not playing to win from the opening tap or feeling overconfident or being complacent.

You also would think Johnson would have blown his stack much sooner this season. There are a couple of games we can think of where he probably should have drawn a technical. The Wizards’ loss was one he probably should have gotten himself yanked from. The Nets were down 20 in the first quarter that night.

But Johnson had seen enough after Harris was taken down by Elton Brand in the third quarter and didn’t get a call. It turned into -– what else? –- a Sixers fastbreak layup and a 15-point deficit.

“In the first half I thought Devin made one or two drives and just didn’t get rewarded for his hard effort,” Johnson said. “The same thing happened in the third quarter and it was the same situation, same person, and just had a difference in opinion.

“Just on my way out I told the guys we needed to pick it up. Just pick it up and play with more energy and passion.”

The Nets didn’t for most of the night, predictably.

By the way, they play the Sixers one more time. The game is April 1, two days after facing the Knicks. Philadelphia is hoping for a close game or a Nets win against New York.

***

Follow me on Twitter: @Al_Iannazzone

***

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