Invigorated by a sunny morning after the best game of his professional career, a gleeful Todd MacCulloch put the top down on his Porsche going to work this morning, hoping for a joy ride, if not more room for his 7-foot frame.

The November experiment did not last too long. "It was brisk," MacCulloch, the Nets' center, said. "I actually pulled into a turn- around and had to put the top back up. I've got to get a hat to cover my ears."

Rather than let the favorable fall winds rush through their heads, MacCulloch and the Nets are trying to exercise caution. Their victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Thursday night gave them a 4-1 start, and the Nets will reach 5-1 for the first time in their 25-year N.B.A. history Saturday afternoon if they dispatch the Cleveland Cavaliers (1-5) in Continental Arena.