How good was the Nets offense in the first half of Friday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls at Barclays Center? Look at it this way: The Bulls shot 56% from 3-point range (14-for-25) in the first half but trailed by 17 points with 4:42 left in the second quarter and were down eight at halftime. It was just that kind of offensive night for the Nets, at least early on, in their 120-112 win over Chicago. Each starter was relatively quiet aside from Cam Thomas, who had 19 points in his first 15 minutes of action. But Brooklyn had a 38-14 edge in the paint and was up 21-15 on the glass. Dennis Schröder and Ben Simmons were dishing out assists all over the court, and their teammates were taking advantage, as the Nets shot a scorching 60.4% over the first two quarters of play. They had 29 assists on 22 field goals — that is ball movement at its finest. Not to be overlooked were the early contributions of Keon Johnson. He knocked down treys, blew by guys off the dribble, threw down a reverse dunk and finished the first half with 12 points off the bench. It was the highest scoring quarter of his NBA career. Johnson was ejected with 28.3 seconds left in the third quarter of Wednesday’s 119-106 defeat of the Memphis Grizzlies. The fourth-year guard exacted his revenge Friday night. “Obviously, he scored, but the reality is you always have to be ready,” Jordi Fernandez said. “He helped the team in Memphis. He helped the team tonight and that’s the type of energy we need to create that good competitiveness with this group. Everybody else stay ready. Everybody else, when your name is called, just be ready to make an impact.” However, similar to Tuesday’s home game against the Denver Nuggets, the Nets cooled off considerably to start the third quarter while Chicago continued to heat up. They shot 9-of-24 in the period and were outscored, 30-24. After looking like it could run away with the game early, Brooklyn led the Bulls by just a point entering the final frame. But a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter created separation when it mattered most. The Nets, led by Thomas, shot 50% from the field in the final frame to secure their third win of the season and their second at Barclays Center. “So that’s basically what you want to do, right? You see adversity, come together, and then you respond,” Fernandez said. Thomas, who entered Friday night as the league’s fourth-quarter scoring leader, scored 10 of his game-high 32 points down the stretch. It was his third 30-point game of the season, and he remains the league leader in fourth quarter scoring and 11.8 points per game. His logo trey with 1:52 left in the final frame proved to be the dagger. “I feel like I’m on the best players in the NBA, one of the best guards,” Thomas said. “Just want to keep it going and keep proving myself.” And just like that, the Nets (3-3) are a .500 team. They have now won consecutive games for the first time this season and are currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. While the season is still young, Fernandez’s team continues to exceed their preseason expectations. “The season just started, but we have to keep it that way,” said Ben Simmons, who enjoyed his best game of the season with eight points, eight rebounds, 11 assists and two blocks in 26 minutes. “Everyone had their expectations on how many games we’re going to win and this that and the other, but we’re focused on being in the moment, in the present, and taking it day by day. So, whatever was said prior to the season, we’re going to leave it there.”