Exclusive | Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert want to get win over Nets for Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson

After facing the Nets for the first time as a head coach, Kenny Atkinson admitted he was extra motivated to beat the team that fired him.Now in his first return to Barclays Center as a head coach, his players want to win one for their coach.Atkinson, canned by Brooklyn back in 2020, has Cleveland off to the best start in the entire NBA, 22-4 entering Monday’s 7:30 p.m.

tilt at Barclays Center.It’ll be a triumphant return not just for Atkinson, but a huge swath of Cavaliers.Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen were drafted by Brooklyn and first groomed in the NBA under Atkinson.

Current Cavs assistant coaches Jordan Ott, Trevor Hendry and DeMarre Carroll were all also former Nets.And both on and off the record, they know how fired up Atkinson will be for Monday’s return.“It’s been fun so far.

And I know he’d love (a win),” one Cavalier told The Post.“Yeah.I think as competitors, you always think about those things,” LeVert told The Post of getting a victory for Atkinson.

“You know, myself, JA [Allen,] Kenny, DeMarre — DeMarre wasn’t really traded away, but Trevor Hendry who was also on staff as well, JO, Jordan Ott, we got a lot of guys who were here.So as competitors I think that just naturally comes to mind.

So for sure.Definitely.”Atkinson coached the Nets from 2016-20, and is still third all-time in franchise history in games coached and fourth in wins.

But when superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant — the latter of whom actually spent 2019-20 rehabbing a ruptured Achilles — wanted him gone, he was gone.Sign up for Inside the Nets by Brian Lewis, exclusively on Sports+.

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Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! After spending time as an assistant under Ty Lue with the Clippers and Steve Kerr with Golden State, Atkinson turned down the Charlotte Hornet...