After a slow start in Phoenix, the Brooklyn Nets battled back into things before the Suns rebuilt their lead before halftime and sprinted away after the break on the way to a 138-112 win over the Nets.
DeAndre Jordan posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Spencer Dinwiddie led the Nets in scoring with 18 points and had six assists. Kyrie Irving had 15 points and five assists. Dzanan Musa had 12 points and six rebounds.
The Nets cut an early 20-point deficit to two points before the Suns closed the first half in a rush for a 68-50 lead at halftime.
Brooklyn was down 33-13 eight minutes into the game as Phoenix opened up shooting 12-for-16 overall and 6-for-9 from 3-point range. But the Nets closed the first quarter on a 17-4 run — including the last 10 points — to get back within 37-30.
Garrett Temple had one 3-pointer in that late first-quarter run and then two more in the first 3:20 of the second quarter, bringing Brooklyn within 42-40. Led by Temple and Dinwiddie, the Nets got 25 points off the bench in the first half. With Jarrett Allen limited to 10 minutes by four fouls, Jordan — back on the court after missing Friday’s game — had 10 rebounds in 14 first-half minutes.
While the Nets never got even again in the first half, they were still within four with 3:30 to go before the Suns closed the half on a 16-2 run capped by Kelly Oubre’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
An 11-0 run pushed Phoenix’s lead to 26 points midway through the third quarter.