In one of the toughest tests they’ll face all season, the Brooklyn Nets were unable to snap their losing streak and fell to the Phoenix Suns, 121-111.
James Harden returned to the lineup after missing Brooklyn’s game against the Warriors due to a hand strain, and delivered a double-double with 22 points and 10 assists. Kyrie Irving had another solid offensive night, scoring 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting – but it wasn’t enough to overcome a sensational performance from Devin Booker.
The Suns star had 14 points in the first quarter alone – helping the Suns build a 10-point lead by the end of the first period – and went on to score a game-high 35. Mikal Bridges added 27, and the Nets also had to deal with the return of Deandre Ayton, who played 28 minutes in a return from injury and scored 12 points.
The loss extended Brooklyn’s current losing streak to five, but they’ll have a chance to bounce back within 24 hours as they play the second half of a back-to-back in Sacramento on Wednesday.
Here’s what players, analysts and fans had to say about the Nets-Suns game: