The Nets can’t blame their performance on lack of energy from an empty building due to bad weather.

Coach Avery Johnson wouldn’t have that if it was the case, which surprisingly it wasn’t.

A better-than-expected crowd came out to see the Nets play the Magic last night. Many of them wanted to see Dwight Howard or boo Hedo Turkoglu –- for some strange reason there were derogatory chants directed at him –- but they also wanted to see the Nets pull off the upset.

Perhaps the loudest reaction came when Kris Humphries stuffed a Howard dunk attempt, but the Nets didn’t do enough of that in a 104-88 loss at the Prudential Center.

With 11,514 fans in attendance, many of whom probably spent the day digging themselves out of the snow, the Nets could have at

Well, at least Brook Lopez and Devin Harris should be flattered that LeBron James thinks they belong in the NBA. But it certainly sounded as if James doesn’t think the Nets should be.

It’s probably too late for Jay-Z to get back his Christmas gift and card.

What James said last night to reporters in Phoenix isn’t wrong necessarily. There are too many NBA teams, and plenty of them aren’t good.

The league is watered down and some teams have too many stars – ahem, like the Heat - that make them powerhouses and others just fighting to stay afloat. Some probably should be contracted. But it was surprising that he singled out the Nets – and Timberwolves – when he was asked about the possibility of the league downsizing.

"Just imagine if you could

The Nets' pre-Christmas two-game trip is a little bit of what could have been and a lot of what could be. Everything about the Nets right now is what could be.

Everyone knows what is happening: the Nets are in transition and won’t make the playoffs as constituted, but have young assets, expiring contracts and draft picks to make trades, and improve quickly with Carmelo Anthony, their top target. He’s definitely in the “what could be” category and has a connection to this trip.

The Nets open up tomorrow in Memphis, where they finally will see Rudy Gay.

The high-scoring small forward was considered the Nets’ fallback option if they couldn’t get LeBron James in free agency. It turned out they couldn’t get either.

Coach Avery Johnson and Nets’

NEWARK, N.J. – With each flick of one of the Cavaliers’ shooters wrists in the fourth quarter Tuesday night, the Nets moved further away from .500.

They might not see it again after falling to 2-5 following the 93-91 loss to Cleveland at The Rock.

We’re not trying to be an alarmist, but we told you here yesterday that perhaps the Nets’ last chance of being a .500 team this season would ride on this home-and-home with Cleveland. The schedule turns ugly after this with Orlando in on Friday and a West Coast trip after that.

The Nets needed to win last night at home against a Cavaliers team that no longer has LeBron James for many reasons and not just to climb back to .500.

Some people, yours truly included, may have overlooked the Cavaliers and the quality of players

After a lost week, after four straight losses when Brook Lopez surprisingly came up small and the Nets’ toughness came into question yet again, they have a chance to see .500 again.

And it may be the Nets’ last chance.

After Tuesday's and Wednesday’s home-and-home against LeBron James-less Cleveland, the 2-4 Nets play the Magic, go West for four games, and return home for a back-to-back against Atlanta and at Boston.

Things could change and the Nets could become a .500 team or even a playoff team if they acquire Carmelo Anthony later in the season. If anything, last week proved they need a proven go-to scorer, someone who can stop other teams’ runs or make plays down the stretch when they need them.

The Nets had no answer for the Heat on Halloween, missed seven

MIAMI – Terrence Williams received the obligatory boos from the fans in Miami after decking LeBron James late in the third quarter. Privately, Williams’ teammates were cheering figuratively.

Someone on the Nets had to do something to stop the Heat and Williams said, “I was the one who raised my hand first.”

The Nets were on their way to another loss when Williams said enough is enough and stopped James from what was sure to be another flashbulb-popping dunk. He and Dwyane Wade produced several in the Heat’s 101-89 victory over the Nets.

James was heading for a breakaway as the clock was winding down to 30 seconds left in the third when Williams sped up and bumped him with his shoulder. James went flying out of bounds. The King was down and his minions were

The Nets -- to quote the great philosopher Prokhorov -- just need time.

They proved that yesterday against the Heat, but also in the two prior games. They were great victories for the Nets, who showed great resilience, as Devin Harris and Brook Lopez played the roles of co-captains well.

But the Nets were this-close to losing both of those games to the Pistons and Kings, respectively, and could very easily be 0-3 right now. Then people would be wondering what’s wrong with the Nets, does Avery Johnson know what he’s doing, the players aren’t responding to him, they wasted money on the free agents they signed and they better get Carmelo Anthony right now.

Yet because of those two wins, Harris playing well in the two wins, Derrick Favors showing he can be a rebounding

LeBron James played the role of the villain today in his first game at Prudential Center since deciding he was taking his talents to South Beach.

The boos were heard early and often during the Heat’s 101-78 dismantling of the Nets.

James knows he’s going to be booed in most cities, but our guess here is Cleveland, New York and New Jersey will be the ones he hears it the loudest. They’re the three places that either feel the most abandoned (Cleveland), slighted (Cleveland) or just disappointed (all three) that they don’t have a franchise player wearing a No. 6 jersey.

“There’s never a time where we can’t be motivated going into any arena,” James said. “We know we’re going to get booed most of the night. It almost seems like we’ve

The Nets don’t want to upset Miami on the eve of their first meeting with the Heat.

When questions were asked after practice today about what they thought of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade forming a super alliance, the Nets said they had no problem with it.

We’re not saying they’re not being honest. They’re all players or former players so they’re going to stick together. James, Wade and Bosh never did anything personally to the Nets except for opt against joining them when they had the chance in July.

The truth is who could blame them? Yes, Mikhail Prokhorov has more money than anyone I have ever met and yes the Nets are going to Brooklyn in a couple of years and Jay-Z is part owner and everything is looking up.

But players are about right now,