The Nets came up just short of beating the Celtics in Boston in their last game, but the end result is they fell to 0-4.
For a team that’s trying to change the direction of a franchise that knows tanking all too well — and lost its first seven games a year ago — they know the results have to change.
And they believe they’re close.
“We haven’t won yet, so obviously we want to get the zero out of that column and get a one right there,’’ Michael Porter Jr. said after practice in Brooklyn on Thursday. “It’s important. That’s why that loss the other day hurt. We felt we were in a position to win the game, but if we play like that and can continue to improve, then we’ll get there.”
Their next chance comes Friday at Barclays Center against the Pistons, followed by games on the road versus Indiana and the Knicks, so it won’t come easily.
Unlike the previous two seasons, when the Nets could have benefited from losing but did not fare well in the draft lottery, this year their first-round pick goes to the Rockets as a result of the trade that sent James Harden to Brooklyn.
So the time to start winning is now.
“We’ve just got to get that first win,’’ Day’Ron Sharpe said. “Once we get that first win, we can use it as momentum.”
And the lack of a victory is on the players’ minds.
They entered Thursday as the only winless team remaining in the Eastern Conference and one of just three in the league.
“For sure,’’ Sharpe said of whether the record was something the team thought about. “You don’t want to have a zero on the board. Last year, we started 0-7 and we’re not trying to do the same thing this year.”
To prevent another round of Groundhog Day — without the silver lining of a potentially high pick — the Nets will have to play like they did in Boston — without the late-game miscues that ended up costing them.
“We’re almost right there,’’ coach Jordi Fernández said. “It came down to late-game execution.”
But he added, “I think games like this in the future will lead to more wins.”
As Porter noted, the Nets are again playing with some key new players, from veterans like Julius Randle to rookie Mikel Brown Jr.
“It’s gonna take some time to develop some chemistry and I think from Game 1 to the last game, there’s been some growth,” Porter said. “Teams that are brand-new like this, it takes a while. We understand that and I think we’re willing to be patient with the process and continue to stack days and it’ll turn around for us.”
Fernández agreed and doesn’t want his team to press.
“We want to play with an edge, not anxiety,’’ Fernández said. “I just want to see continuity from what we did in the game against Boston. There’s no doubt in my mind, the first [win] is gonna come … I believe in the process. Right now, I’m not anxious about a win. I want to play consistently the right way. That [Boston] game is a clear example of who we want to be.”
