Cam Thomas scored 24 points and Mikal Bridges added 21 points in his return to Phoenix as the Brooklyn Nets notched a 116-112 victory over the Suns on Wednesday night.
Spencer Dinwiddie had 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as Brooklyn won for the seventh time in nine games.
Devin Booker recorded 34 points, 12 assists and six rebounds for the Suns, who lost for the fifth time in seven games.
Kevin Durant scored 27 points in his first game against the Nets since being traded to the Suns last February. Durant played 38 minutes after missing the previous two games due to a sprained left ankle.
Bradley Beal scored 14 points for Phoenix, which had its “Big Three” of Durant, Booker and Beal on the floor in the same game for the first time. Wednesday was the Suns’ 24th game of the season.
Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkic had 15 points and a season-high 22 rebounds, falling one board shy of his career high.
It was a fun return for Bridges and Cameron Johnson, who were part of the package for Durant. Johnson scored 15 points.
Nic Claxton added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Nets, who shot 46.1 percent from the field and made 15 of 41 3-point shots (36.6 percent).
Phoenix trailed by eight before Durant and Booker each made two free throws and Keita Bates-Diop delivered a dunk to cut Brooklyn’s lead to 114-112 with 27.9 seconds remaining.
However, Thomas made two free throws with three seconds left as the Nets halted a four-game slide against the Suns.
Phoenix shot 47.6 percent from the field and was 9 of 28 from behind the arc (32.1 percent).
Dinwiddie and Bridges hit consecutive 3-pointers as Brooklyn took a 105-98 lead with 6:07 to play. Phoenix later was within three before Dinwiddie knocked down another trey to give the Nets a 112-106 advantage with 1:54 remaining.
Thirty seconds later, Dinwiddie drove through the lane for a layup to make it an eight-point advantage.
Johnson had 15 first-half points as the Nets led 64-56 at the break. Booker had 17 in the half, 16 coming in the second quarter.
Brooklyn scored 19 consecutive points spanning the first and second quarters, capped by two treys from Johnson, to open up a 37-22 lead.
Nurkic dominated the third quarter with nine points and 12 rebounds as Phoenix outscored the Nets 32-22 to take an 88-86 lead entering the final period.
–Field Level Media