Before tip at State Farm Arena, the Nets announced reserve center Day’Ron Sharpe has been diagnosed with an ulnar collateral ligament tear in his left thumb, that he’ll need surgery, and that he’ll miss the rest of the regular season. It was the news of the night, especially given how much Sharpe had become part of the Nets’ nightly backbone.

Sharpe appeared in 62 games, including seven starts, and posted career highs across the board. He averaged 8.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting a team-best 60.1% from the floor in 18.7 minutes per game. On a per-36 basis, he landed in rare company. The list of players averaging at least 16 points, 12 rebounds and four assists per 36 minutes on 55% shooting or better this season includes Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Sharpe.

He’s also been Brooklyn’s biggest swing player. Sharpe has posted a plus-7.0 net rating this season, the highest on the Nets and the sixth-highest among 35 centers who have played over 1,000 minutes. He’s been that valuable. And now he’s out, which changed how the Nets can survive stretches without their starters.

Head coach Jordi Fernández didn’t hide how much Sharpe’s injury stings, even if the organization believes it’s manageable.

“I’m very happy with what I’ve seen from Day’Ron, the hard work he put in and how much better he’s gotten,” Fernández said. “Obviously, we wouldn’t want to see that, but we know it’s fixable. And we’ll go and do surgery, then we’ll have a timetable.”

The Nets have a team option on Sharpe for just over $6 million next season.

Then there was the other part of the story, and it played out on the floor. With Sharpe gone and the injury list already crowded, Josh Minott stepped into a bigger lane and looked like he belonged there.

Minott, acquired in a trade deadline deal with the Boston Celtics, made a real impression in Brooklyn’s 108-97 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, finishing with a career-high 24 points, three rebounds, three steals and two blocks. The Nets dropped to 17-49, had their latest losing streak reach two games, and couldn’t quite land the punch they needed late against a Hawks team that entered the night on a seven-game win streak.

Brooklyn was shorthanded again. Sharpe, Ziaire Williams, Nolan Traoré, Michael Porter Jr. and Egor Dëmin were all out. Fernández started Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, Danny Wolf, Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton. It was Saraf’s first start since Oct. 29, the last of his five straight starts to open the season.

The second unit was Tyson Etienne, Terance Mann, Jalen Wilson, Chaney Johnson and Minott, a bench that looked like a lineup card from Long Island on a night the Nets needed NBA answers. And for long stretches, they gave them.

Minott was a spark in the first half, scoring 10 points on 3-for-4 shooting, including 2-for-3 shooting from 3-point range, as the Nets overcame seven early turnovers and stayed connected. Brooklyn shot 47.2% in the first half, held Atlanta to 42.9% and trailed 57-50 at the break. Wolf had seven points and five rebounds in the first half. Powell scored seven. Saraf had six points and two assists. The Nets were hanging around with effort, pace and just enough shot-making.

They kept coming after halftime, too. Brooklyn opened the third quarter on a 12-4 run to cut the deficit to one with 8:27 left in the period, and the night settled into a series of runs from there. Minott’s third 3-pointer tied it at 74 with 3:37 left in the third. Atlanta briefly stretched it again, but the Nets answered at the horn. With 8.3 seconds left in the quarter, Jonathan Kuminga hit a free throw to push the Hawks’ lead to six. Moments later, Johnson found Etienne behind the arc, and Etienne’s buzzer-beating 3 made it 82-79 entering the fourth.

Saraf then delivered the kind of play that makes coaches keep handing you the ball. With 10:53 left, he used a decisive crossover and spin through the Hawks’ defense to give the Nets their first lead since it was 7-5 early. For a second, it looked like Brooklyn might steal one.

Atlanta didn’t allow it. The Hawks responded with a 10-0 run to restore a nine-point lead with 8:20 left, and that was the cushion they needed to close.

Brooklyn will conclude its road trip Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

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