Joe Harris provides Nets with Kevin Durant backup in win over Magic

Joe Harris provides Nets with Kevin Durant backup in win over Magic

The Nets have gotten — and squandered — great nights from Kevin Durant before. 

But it was a breakout effort from struggling Joe Harris that made this one different. 

Pushed by woebegone Orlando, the Nets had to work to pull off a 109-102 escape before 15,704 fans at Barclays Center. 

Durant poured in a season-high 45 points, doing it on 19-for-24 shooting. But after the Nets had lost his two previous 37-point outings earlier this season — against the Grizzlies and Mavericks — this time, they backed him up. 

The total was Durant’s highest since pouring in 55 last April 2 against Atlanta. But as great as he was, he needed help. 

Harris — who’d been just 3-for-24 overall in his prior four games and was yanked from the starting lineup by coach Jacque Vaughn — broke out with an auspicious performance. 

The heretofore ice-cold Harris had a season-high 17 points and four rebounds. Even though his outside shooting touch still eluded him — just 2 of 8 from 3-point range — he drove to the basket, beat the Magic downcourt for outlet passes, boxed out against bigger players and did pretty much everything he could to contribute. 

Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Harris (12) shoots in front of Orlando Magic forward Admiral Schofield (25)Joe Harris came into Monday night ice cold, but broke out to the tune of a season-high 17 points against the Magic.Corey Sipkin for the NY POST Photo

“The shots he’s taken have all been good shots; that’s the great thing,” Vaughn said before the game. “Everyone in this organization has a tremendous amount of respect and love for Joe Harris. At least I do. Totally believe in him. He’s an unbelievable person, teammate and shooter. And that ball is going to go in. It’s just a matter of time really. 

“Whether we reduce some of his minutes just to take some of the mental and physical load off him — we’ve had other guys step up, which has been great — but we need Joe Harris. We need him to relieve some of Royce O’Neale’s minutes. We need him to help us rebound. We need him to play more than 12 minutes that he did the other day. He’s just too good of a human being, too good of a basketball player not to get there.” 

The Nets trailed by double digits, down 28-18 with 3:14 left in the first quarter on a 3-pointer by spindly Bol Bol. But they clawed back into it, leading by one at the break. 

Durant poured in 19 points in a third quarter that saw the Nets outscore the Magic, 35-25, shooting 60 percent and 5 of 9 from behind the arc. 

Trailing 53-52 after a Gary Harris finger roll, Durant edged the Nets ahead. 

The Nets clung to a 77-76 lead with 2:53 left in the third before Durant punctuated a 10-0 run. His midrange pull-up padded the cushion to 11 with 38 seconds left in the third, and they managed to hold Orlando at bay in the fourth. 

It was Durant’s transcendence that won the night. But they will need more nights like this from Harris in support to win — especially if Ben Simmons, who left in the second quarter with a sore knee, misses any time. 

While some in the league are whispering that Harris’ struggles could be an aftereffect of not one but two ankle surgeries, Harris himself rejected using such an alibi. 

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) drives against Orlando Magic forward Franz WagnerThe Nets didn’t let Kevin Durant go at it alone against Orlando.Corey Sipkin for the NY POST Photo

“No. I don’t think [so]. I wouldn’t attribute it to surgery or anything like that,” Harris told The Post before the game. “It’s just me coming back, just trying to play my part to help the team win succeed. I’m getting really good looks. It’s just one of those things where I keep taking them, take them aggressively and not put too much stress on where it’s at right now.”