Saturday’s rout of San Antonio didn’t just mark Ben Simmons’ highest-scoring game of the season.

It marked his most aggressive. 

Simmons had 13 points — a modest enough total — but also shot 6-for-7 from the floor.

He drove hard to the rim, something he’s been conspicuously loath to do in the aftermath of his debilitating back woes. 

Asked if he was making a conscious effort to attack the paint more, or if he’s simply better physically in the wake of back surgery, Simmons said it was the latter. 

“Feeling better. It takes time. It’s one of those things where it’s just up and down each day. But I’m just staying with it. The storm doesn’t last forever,” Simmons said. “You know, I’m gonna get back to where I was. So just staying on it. And you know, each day is a day to get better.” 

Simmons has notoriously been without a midrange game, much less a 3-point shot.

But he did hit a turnaround against the Spurs, a 10-foot fadeaway in the lane that should only serve to make him more comfortable. 

“I mean, it’s always confidence seeing it go in. I know I’ve got that [shot],” said Simmons, who added five assists, three steals and two blocks. He finished plus-10 in 21:30, defending well against 7-foot-4 phenom center Victor Wembanyama. 

Nic Claxton has five 20-point, 10-board games already in 2023-24, tying his career total coming into the season.

He’s averaging 3.8 blocks over his last five. 

The Nets have a back-to-back against the Celtics on Tuesday and at Boston on Wednesday. Coming into the home-and-home they have the eighth-easiest schedule per Tankathon, but that will surely get easier once they’re done with this pair against the league leaders. 

The Nets’ four trade exceptions are second-most in the NBA behind only Philadelphia’s five, led by a league-high $20.4 million exception. 

Newly acquired Dennis Schroder got taken into the remainder of the Kevin Durant trade exception, which was going to expire at the trade deadline. 

The since-waived Thad Young got taken into the Joe Harris trade exception, the remaining $11.9 million of which is good through July 7.

The $6.8 million Patty Mills exception expires the same day. 

The aforementioned Spencer Dinwiddie exception is the second-biggest in the league, behind only Atlanta’s $23 million exception for John Collins, and expires on Feb. 9, 2025, the same day as the $9.5 million Royce O’Neale exception. 

Jalen Wilson had eight points on 3 of 4 shooting and six boards, finishing plus-14 in against the Spurs.

He’s looking like a second-round steal and carving out a rotation role. 

“Every game has opportunity, no matter who’s in, who’s out,” Wilson told The Post. “You’re gonna have a time to go out and have to do your job, so I don’t necessarily look at it as a new opportunity, but it’s like just another chance.”