Even teams built to tank don’t always follow the script.

The Nets (8-10) will be in Phoenix on Wednesday night, looking for their fourth win in the past five games, currently owning a share of seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Following a win in Sacramento, Brooklyn most recently overcame an 18-point second-half deficit at division leader Golden State despite the crunch-time absence of five of their top six in minutes played (Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson, Nic Claxton, Ben Simmons, Dorian Finney-Smith).

Of course they did.

The Nets have spent the better part of the past month defying expectations and are nearly halfway to their (sportsbook-based) projected wins total (19.5) before December. If management doesn’t take action — i.e. trades — the Nets could keep climbing in the standings.