This is the first Nets team—Brooklyn, New Jersey or otherwise—to finish with a winning road record since the franchise joined the NBA in 1976.

They've come close before. For instance, Jason Kidd led the team to a 20-21 road mark in 2005-2006. But it wasn't until the Nets' 5-3 effort over their recent franchise-record-tying eight-game road trip that they officially hit 21 wins, guaranteeing a positive record away from home.

Deron Williams's Nets have secured a winning road record for the first time ever. Associated Press

"This franchise is 36 years old," interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said after Wednesday's road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. "It's the most wins we've ever had on the road. It's the first time we've ever had a winning record on the road. That's really a significant accomplishment, so I'm really proud of them. They deserve it."

And the Nets didn't just squeak by on the road, either. Over the 17 days they were away from Brooklyn, the Nets averaged an NBA-best 114.1 points per 100 possessions and ranked second overall in rebounding rate, having grabbed 54.1% of missed shots during that time.

Joe Johnson, who was limited by a sore heel and quad, missed all but three games of the trip and averaged only 12.3 points when he did play. But Brook Lopez and Deron Williams combined for more than 43 points per game while Reggie Evans chipped in with just less than 17 rebounds per game as well.

They did lose winnable games to the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz in addition to being blown out by the Denver Nuggets, but the Nets beat the Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers and the Cavaliers by an average of 18.4 points per game.

They also improved their record against sub-.500 teams to a whopping 27-4.

The problem is that there aren't too many sub-.500 teams in the playoffs.

The road trip left the Nets with a two-game lead on the Atlanta Hawks for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, which is significant, considering that falling into fifth place means relinquishing home-court advantage.

"Everything is so tight in the East between three and six," swingman MarShon Brooks said of the Nets, Hawks and Chicago Bulls.

"We could leapfrog each other," Carlesimo said. "[The sixth seed] takes you into a different set of matchups. Four is so much better. Five is a disaster. I mean to be five is the worst thing you could possibly be."

Finishing sixth could mean a first-round matchup with the crosstown Knicks (48-26) or Indiana Pacers (48-27), but the Nets are 2-2 and 2-0 against that pair, respectively, with another game left to play against the latter.

And since they are among the best road teams in the NBA, finishing outside of the top four might not be so terrible after all.