NBA

Another injury hits Nets in loss to Pistons

In case you have been riding the euphoria of the Giants since Christmas or practicing some bizarre ritual where you stare at a moose for months, the Nets put together a capsulated version of their season for you last night.

There was a horrible start. There was a ghastly deficit. There was a spirited comeback, and, naturally, in keeping with team policy, there was an injury.

Oh, almost forgot. There was of course, a loss, their fourth straight. This time, 99-92 to the Pistons in Newark. Welcome to your 2011-12 New Jersey Soon-to-Be Brooklyn Nets.

“We lost. That’s about it. It’s another loss at home,” said Deron Williams, who sank a career high-tying six 3-pointers while scoring 34 points — 27 of them in the second half — when he led the furious but ultimately futile comeback from 18 points down to within one. “We’ve been struggling here all season, finding our shot, finding rhythm.”

Finding healthy bodies. The Nets (8-19) started the game with 10 available players, ended the night with nine as Keith Bogans exited with a left foot injury with 2:22 to go. Bogans left the locker room on crutches and in a walking boot. The Nets likely will summon someone from the D-League for tomorrow’s rematch at Detroit, a winner of three straight.

“We’ve got to do a better job of defending penetration . . . playing our pick-and-roll defense,” coach Avery Johnson said. “Then, unfortunately, our best defender goes down. . . . [Bogans] has to have an MRI [exam] tomorrow and it’s not looking great.”

Of course not. These are the Nets. What would you expect? Although, there were some surprises last night.

“I was shocked that the score was 20-20 in the first quarter with the way we were playing,” said Johnson who all season has praised the comebacks — until this time as he admitted he was “leaning more toward upset with how we started the game. We had no energy.”

The first half was as pitiful as any the Nets have unleashed this season. They shot 34.2 percent (1 of 10 on 3-poitners) and trailed 51-39 at halftime. The deficit quickly hit 18 early in the third quarter.

“We became lethargic and sluggish,” said Shelden Williams (11 points, six rebounds). “We dug ourselves a hole.”

Or grave.

“It’s definitely one we let slip away. . . . I’m not going to complain about the arena,” said Deron Williams who has done just that in the past. “There’s no excuse for losing at home, missing shots, whatever. We just have to play better.”

Anthony Morrow agreed.

“We’ve got to create better energy,” said Morrow, who returned after missing a game because of the death of his grandmother. “At times we just don’t have energy and everything’s step slow. It’s not every game, but it’s a team thing. We’ve just got to look at each other and everybody just do it.”

So after sleep-walking for 2 ¹/₂ quarters, the Nets were within seven by the end of the third quarter, relying on Williams, the bench scoring of Jordan Farmar (22 points, three 3-pointers) and Kris Humphries’ maniacal rebounding (16 boards) and defense. The Nets kept coming. Specifically, Deron Williams kept coming — bringing everyone with him. When he made a four-point play at 8:28, the Nets were within one. They fell behind by 10, rallied again and then tested Johnson one more time.

Within six, the Nets saw Greg Monroe, who led six double-figure Pistons with 20 points, drive and score on the play where Bogans was hurt at 2:27.

“We’re screaming like 50 times, we don’t want Monroe to go left. He’s a left-handed player. He has two left hands,” Johnson said for emphasis. “But we still allow him to go left and dunk on us.”

Plus, they lost Bogans, went on to lose the game. What else is new?