NEW YORK — Yuta Watanabe’s midrange jumper caromed off the back of the rim as Kyrie Irving sped in from the left elbow, leapt and delivered the one-handed slam that electrified Barclays Center. Watanabe giddily put his hands on his head. Kevin Durant erupted from the bench. Nic Claxton appeared to be near hyperventilation.
It’s not just that the Nets won their 12th straight in a 139-103 romp over the rebuilding Spurs Monday — though that’s plenty important. And it’s not that an Irving dunk is rare enough that players were embracing on the sideline. It’s also, too, that these Nets — the ones that ESPN analyst Jay Williams called “the most unlikeable team maybe in the history of the NBA” in November — are something that they haven’t been for a very, very long time.
The Nets are fun. And, if the roar at a packed Barclays is any indication, they might just be becoming likeable, too.
