Resilient Nets best short-handed Lakers

Kyrie Irving had his career-best 30-point streak snapped Monday night in Downtown Brooklyn, but the Nets’ backups had more than enough for the LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers.

Irving settled for 26 points — the first time he failed to reach at least 30 in seven games — grabbed seven rebounds and handed out six assists as Brooklyn overcame a second-half rally by the shorthanded Lakers for a 121-104 triumph in front of a sellout crowd of 17,924 at Barclays Center.

While some who descended on the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush may have been disappointed that James (left-foot soreness) and Anthony Davis (rest) weren’t available, the Nets’ ‘Bench Mob’ took it upon themselves to lighten Irving’s load with Kevin Durant still nursing a right MCL sprain.

Patty Mills and Cam Thomas poured in 21 points apiece, Yuta Watanabe added 12 and Day’Ron Sharpe grabbed 14 boards as Brooklyn (31-19) won its second straight and improved to 4-6 since Durant went down to injury Jan. 8 in Miami.

“K’s not in the lineup … It’s going to leave opportunity for guys,” said Irving. “It makes my job easier. When we score 66 points off the bench, then I don’t have to put my head down in the fourth quarter and keep us in the game.”

Last year, the Nets went 5-18 during Durant’s absence with a left MCL sprain, but Mills believes Brooklyn is better equipped to deal with the absence of its best player this time around.

“I think from a big-picture standpoint we’ve just worked out how to navigate the ship, I guess,” he said. “And it definitely does feel a lot different than last year in that sense.”

Thomas Bryant scored 18 points and Russell Westbrook, rumored to be…