Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and the Brooklyn Nets placed on a masterclass of group basketball Wednesday evening, making the additional move, taking part in good defence and hitting just a few clutch pictures.
In a approach, it was a reminder of what the Phoenix Suns used to have.
Bridges scored 21 factors and Johnson added 15 in an emotional return to the desert, main the Nets to a 116-112 victory and spoiling the debut of the Suns’ All-Star trio. The 2 gamers had been traded from the Suns to the Nets final season in a bundle that despatched 13-time All-Star Kevin Durant again to Phoenix.
“It feels nice,” Johnson mentioned about his return. “This constructing welcomed me with open arms a very long time in the past and welcomed me with open arms tonight. It’s fairly cool when you could have the chance to come back again to a spot the place the individuals nonetheless assist you and care about you.”
The Nets have received seven of their previous 9. Cam Thomas led Brooklyn with 24 factors.
The Suns trailed by eight factors on the break however rallied for an 88-86 lead heading into the fourth. The sport stayed tight all through the ultimate quarter, however the Nets took the lead with about 10 minutes remaining and by no means gave it up.
Spencer Dinwiddie hit a 3 to place the Nets up 112-106 with 1:54 left. He adopted with a layup on the group’s subsequent offensive possession and completed with 16 factors.
“We did an incredible job of counting on one another at totally different components of the sport,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn mentioned.
The Suns reduce it to 114-112 with 28 seconds left, however Thomas hit two free throws with 3 seconds left to seal it. Thomas scored 10 factors within the fourth.
It was the primary time this season — within the twenty fourth sport — that Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal performed for the Suns on the identical evening. The trio’s debut was delayed due to numerous accidents, significantly Beal’s sore again, which has restricted him to 5 video games this season.
Booker had 34 factors and 12 assists, Durant added 27 factors and Beal had 14. Jusuf Nurkic had 15 factors and a season-high 22 rebounds.
Houston Rockets 117-104 Memphis Grizzlies.
Within the different NBA match, Tari Eason scored a career-high 25 factors, Jabari Smith Jr. added 20 factors and 10 rebounds and the Houston Rockets prolonged their dwelling successful streak to 11 video games with a 117-104 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Eason got here off the bench to shoot 10 for 16 and matched a career-high with 14 rebounds.
“I really feel like that is one thing the place I all the time play exhausting,” Eason mentioned. “While you play exhausting, all the additional stuff occurs, however I wouldn’t say I’m doing something exterior of myself.”
The Rockets and Grizzlies face off once more Friday evening in Memphis within the second sport of the home-and-home set.
Houston’s bench outscored the Grizzlies’ backups 58-19.
Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks every scored 11 factors and Jae’Sean Tate had 10 factors and 7 rebounds for Houston, which shot 45 per cent, together with 12 of 32 from 3-point vary. Houston outrebounded Memphis 58-39.
The Rockets’ 11-game dwelling successful streak is its longest since a franchise document 20-game run from January 10-April 5, 2018.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had a career-high 44 factors and 7 rebounds for Memphis, which misplaced its third straight sport. Derrick Rose added 19 factors and 6 assists and Vince Williams Jr. had 10 factors and 7 rebounds.
Jackson was 15 of 24 from the sphere and scored 29 factors within the second half.
The Grizzlies shot 43 per cent however had been simply 10 of 38 from lengthy distance. Memphis pressured 19 Houston turnovers, which it transformed into 23 factors.
Desmond Bane, who’s Memphis’ main scorer at 24.8 factors per sport, was out with an sickness. Bane turned the eleventh Grizzlies participant to overlook a sport because of harm or sickness this season.
Houston led by as many as 19 factors within the second quarter earlier than Memphis reduce the result in 57-43 on the half. The Grizzlies opened the second half on a 15-3 run and reduce the Rockets’ result in 60-58 on a free throw by Williams with eight minutes remaining within the third.
Main 82-81 to start out the fourth, Houston opened the quarter on a 10-2 run, stretching its result in 92-83 on a jumper by VanVleet with 9 1/2 minutes left. Memphis bought no nearer than six factors the remainder of the best way.