NBA

Nets lose to Spurs

The contrast was as stark as it was stunning. As the Nets suffered their sixth straight loss last night, a 103-89 defeat to San Antonio, the cross-river rival Knicks cruised to their fifth straight win. As “Linsanity” rolled on, the Nets wallowed in an ever-deepening malaise of injury.

Yes, the Nets (8-21) improved over Friday’s humiliation in Detroit, but that’s not setting the bar very high. They got bludgeoned in the paint, fell behind by 21 and never got closer than six in losing for the eighth time in nine games. Now the Nets have three days off to try to figure out how things have gone so awry.

Point guard Deron Williams (27 points, eight assists) was one of the precious few bright spots on a team that shot just 40.2 percent, Marshon Brooks — making his first start in two weeks, returning from a broken toe — scored just seven points and was 2-of-10 from the field. Shawne Williams (three points) also struggled, going 1-of-9 from the floor.

After a solid start, the Nets imploded in the second quarter.

The Nets, who have the worst field goal defense in the league, let San Antonio hit 14 of 19 shots in the second quarter. San Antonio also had six players in double figures, The Nets, who missed eight of their first nine shots, hit just 8 of 27 in the second quarter and trailed by 15 at halftime, and the game essentially was over.

“Pretty good first quarter for us, but they turned it up on us in the second quarter,’’ said coach Avery Johnson, who won the 1999 NBA title with the Spurs but got no breaks from his former coach and mentor Gregg Popovich. “There was a little more energy [last night]. I wish we would’ve had that same energy [Friday]. If we did, we would’ve given ourselves a better chance to win.’’

It was an improvement, but one the Nets took little solace in.

“We expect to compete every night, but we’ve got to start beating teams like Detroit if we think we’re going to come in and beat San Antonio,’’ said Kris Humphries (15 points, eight rebounds). “Sometimes we play against a good team like the Spurs and come out with more enthusiasm. … But that’s kind of weak-minded. We have to be able to approach Detroit like they’re Miami.’’

Manu Ginobili, making his first start since breaking his hand on Jan. 2, made a running jumper with just seconds left in the first half to send the Spurs into the locker room up 55-40.

The Nets clawed within 62-56 midway through the third when Deron Williams hit a 3-pointer. But the Spurs answered right back, and ground out the kind of win they have been producing for years.

“We cut the game down to six, and just made a couple of mistakes again,” Williams said. “It made it rough for us to get back in the game,’’ “A team like this, you can’t get down against them.’’

San Antonio (19-9) got 18 points from Gary Neal to run its season-best winning streak to eight. They have beaten the Nets in 18 of their last 19 meetings.

“New Jersey is obviously trying to find their way,’’ Popovich said. “They played hard from beginning to end. It’s all you can ask.’’