Dutch Gaitley knew what was coming when he saw the water bottles.

His players had earned the ambush. He had, too.

Less than 24 hours after a sloppy California Classic opener in Sacramento, the Nets’ summer league coach got the response he wanted. It came in an 89-69 win over the Milwaukee Bucks from a lineup missing most of the names fans were waiting to see, and it ended with Gaitley soaked by a celebration his players had ready.

Brooklyn is 1-1 through two California Classic games, with Monday night’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors bringing the first look at Mikel Brown Jr. The No. 6 overall pick is expected to make his Nets debut after sitting out the first two games.

Danny Wolf hasn’t played because of lower back soreness. Egor Dëmin, Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, Tyler Bilodeau and Chaney Johnson all played Saturday against the Sacramento Kings, then sat Sunday against Milwaukee as the Nets rested most of their top summer league players.

Because of it, the weekend split into two evaluations. Here’s what we learned.

THE NETS FOUND THEIR PACE

Gaitley didn’t hide what bothered him after Saturday’s 79-76 loss to Sacramento. The Nets opened well, built an 18-point lead and got a strong performance from Dëmin, but the offense stalled for stretches. Brooklyn committed 20 turnovers, gave up 10 offensive rebounds and allowed 42 points in the paint.

Darius Acuff Jr. scored 25 points despite shooting 9-for-29, and Sacramento found enough late offense to take the game. Brooklyn couldn’t close.

Gaitley pointed to “execution stuff,” turnovers, offensive rebounds and organization as areas the team needed to clean up. One day later, with most of the Nets’ higher-profile summer league players sitting, the second group gave him the response he wanted.

The Nets had three fast-break points against Sacramento. They had 17 against Milwaukee. They assisted on eight of 22 made field goals in the opener, then 22 of 35 on Sunday.

“We really emphasized attacking in transition,” Gaitley said after Sunday’s win.

Pace and space, Gaitley said, is one of the team’s first staples. The Nets lived by those principles on Sunday. Hunter Sallis pushed the ball. Dion Brown found people. Ben Humrichous lit the Bucks up from deep. Dwight Murray Jr. stepped into shots. Dain Dainja finished inside.

Sallis had 15 points, six rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Brown added nine points, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals. Murray scored 14. The ball moved, the floor opened and the Nets played with a purpose missing for too much of Saturday.

DËMIN GAVE BROOKLYN SOMETHING TO BUILD ON

Dëmin gave the Nets the best individual performance from Game 1, finishing with 23 points on 8-for-15 shooting, added seven rebounds and went plus-eight in a game Brooklyn lost by three. His jumper came and went, as he finished 2-for-8 from deep, but his size and feel gave the Nets a steady hand without Brown available. He looked far more comfortable attacking the rim. His handle looked tighter. The offseason work is beginning to show.

Now comes the next step in the evaluation. Brown’s expected debut against Golden State gives Brooklyn its first look at the next guard prospect chosen to elevate the teams rebuild. It also gives the Nets their first chance to see how Brown and Dëmin synergize and share creation duties.

HUMRICHOUS TURNED SHOOTING INTO A STATEMENT

Humrichous made the strongest case among the players who entered the rotation Sunday. He finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, went 5-for-12 from 3-point range and closed plus-21.

Gaitley praised his willingness to keep shooting, even after misses.

“That’s going to be his superpower if he’s going to have success in the NBA,” Gaitley said.

Brooklyn didn’t just reduce the job to shooting. Gaitley said the staff gives each player role definitions, and one of Humrichous’ points of emphasis was pushing beyond his comfort zone defensively, especially with ball pressure.

The Illinois product understood the assignment and gave Brooklyn shooting, rebounding and buy-in. For a player trying to separate himself in a crowded summer setting, that is a strong start.

THE RESERVES MADE SUNDAY WORTH IT

Sunday could’ve been forgettable. Instead, Brooklyn’s deeper summer league group won by 20 and, as Gaitley put it, set the tone for “Brooklyn basketball.”

Dainja was a major part of it. Gaitley called him “the boogeyman,” a fitting description for a 6-9 big who gave Brooklyn force, touch and better conditioning after not playing Saturday. He had 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one turnover in 16:57, while finishing plus-22.

“Guys who are built like that, if they can sustain, he’s very good with the ball,” Gaitley said. “If he can sustain that for a long run, he can be effective.”

Gaitley grouped Dainja with Brown, Murray and Aaron Scott, all of whom sat in Game 1 and played meaningful minutes in Game 2. They impacted the game. They won their minutes.