Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets passes during the first...

Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets passes during the first half  at Barclays Center on Dec. 26, 2018. Credit: Jim McIsaac

With a chance to reach the .500 mark, the Nets began the second half of the season with a dispiriting loss in Boston on Monday when injuries reduced their roster to 10 healthy bodies. But Joe Harris and DeMarre Carroll, both of whom sat out with minor injuries, each said they expect to be available when the Nets face the Hawks on Wednesday at Barclays Center, and if that holds true, the Nets have a chance to keep their 12-4 roll going.

Short-handed or not, the Nets must take advantage of a weak Atlanta team that will be on the second night of a back-to-back. After that, the Nets face a murderer’s row type of schedule over the next three games against Toronto, Boston and Houston. Only the Boston game is at home.

“It’s the next-man-up philosophy,” Spencer Dinwiddie said of the battered lineup. “Our coaching staff has done a great job preparing all of us throughout the year, and we believe in the talent in this locker room. We just have to come together and get wins. Same type of thing as when we lost Caris.”

Dinwiddie was referring to the loss of emerging star Caris LeVert, who suffered a dislocated ankle on Nov. 12 and isn’t likely to return before the All-Star break in mid-February. The Nets rebounded from that loss in spectacular fashion and will go into the Hawks game as the eighth and final playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.

Now that playoff contention is a reality for the Nets, Dinwiddie said they must maintain the focus that put them in that position. “I think we’ve just got to take it game by game,” Dinwiddie said. “Our focus right now is to beat Atlanta. That’s how we got here. To shift it now and try and take a holistic outlook and say, ‘Hey if we win five out of our next seven, I think we’ll be in the playoffs,’ I don’t think that does us justice. Just take a game at a time and beat Atlanta.”

The quick return of Harris, who is the second-ranked three-point shooter in the NBA with a 48.2 percentage, and Carroll, who is averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists over his last six games off the bench, is vital.

Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson calls to his players during...

Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson calls to his players during the first quarter of a game against the Celtics in Boston on Monday. Credit: AP/Charles Krupa

Another player who has grown into his role is second-round rookie Rodions Kurucs, who tied his career high with 24 points at Boston as he made a career-high five three-pointers. Still, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson wasn't satisfied.

“I want him to get back to defending and rebounding,” Atkinson said. “One rebound tonight, no steals. That’s got to be his role. I’m thrilled he made those threes, I’m thrilled he was good offensively, but his role on this team has to be rebounding and an energy guy defending.”

Kurucs understands, and he vowed to focus on those areas. He knows how it might affect the second-half drive for the playoffs.

“We want to go higher, higher, higher,” Kurucs said. “As high as possible. The vibe here in the locker room between the guys is just great. We’re hyped up. We want to win, and we want to go to the playoffs.”

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