The Brooklyn Nets will take any victory at this point to improve their position in the play-in tournament. On Tuesday night, they bucked a relatively slow start, punctuated by a silly scramble, to score a 118-105 win over the Houston Rockets.

The Nets almost saw their 21-point lead evaporate in the fourth quarter after the Rockets made a late surge. But Kyrie Irving made sure to prevent a meltdown, scoring 17 of his 42 points in the final period.

After the game, which helped the Nets improve to 41-38 and tie the Atlanta Hawks for the no. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference, Irving said he always knows when to turn on the switch, per the report of ESPN.

“When the game starts to get a little out of hand or we have a big lead and let it go, then it's time to put the foot back on the gas pedal and I have to lead by example.”

But while the All-Star guard was masterful once again, Nets coach Steve Nash wasn't too thrilled with their victory, although he acknowledged how they still eked out the W.

“It wasn't a great performance. I don't think anyone in the locker room thought it was a great performance. But we found a way. We got it done. We weathered some tricky patches.”

Nash was the consummate team player during his heyday, so it's not surprising for him to call out the Nets as a unit despite Irving's impressive scoring barrage. Still, it's safe to assume that Nash isn't complaining.

The Nets will next face the New York Knicks on the second end of a back-to-back set.