Phoenix, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) – Phoenix’s bench led the way for the Suns
again.
Gerald Green netted 28 points and Isaiah Thomas added 21 off the bench as the
Suns defeated the Brooklyn Nets 112-104 on Wednesday night.
“They’re different in a way. Where Isaiah can really penetrate and create
contact and still finish a shot … Gerald, once he jumps, there’s not a whole
lot you can do,” said Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek. “Those are two weapons we
have coming in off the bench.”
Goran Dragic had 18 points and six assists to lead the starters for the Suns,
who have won two straight on the heels of a 1-3 stretch.
The Suns’ bench, which is the third highest scoring unit in the NBA, outscored
Brooklyn’s 60-27.
Joe Johnson posted 21 points, while Kevin Garnett supplied 12 points and 10
rebounds for Brooklyn, which had won four of its last five coming in.
“We lost our aggressiveness,” said Nets head coach Lionel Hollins. “They
started pressuring more and taking the ball out of the point guard’s hands and
we just made too many turnovers.”
Phoenix trailed by as many as 19 in the first half, but Thomas netted the
final six points during a 13-2 Suns run, including a pair of free throws to
cap it for a 99-94 advantage with 4:08 to play.
Johnson potted a jumper to pull Brooklyn with 101-99, but Dragic found Miles
Plumlee for a dunk before recording a three-point play for a 106-99 spread
with 1:57 left.
The Nets never got it under four the rest of the way.
Brook Lopez capped a 14-3 Brooklyn first-quarter surge with a turnaround hook
shot to stake the Nets to a 29-13 lead late in the frame. They took a 29-17
advantage into the second.
Brooklyn led 63-49 at the break.
The Nets missed their first seven shots of the third, allowing the Suns to get
back in it with a 14-2 swing. Dragic netted the final seven of the burst to
pull Phoenix within 65-62.
An Alex Len jumper with 51 ticks left in the third gave Phoenix its first
lead, 78-77, since it was 2-0, but the Nets put in the final seven points of
the period.
Bojan Bogdanovic knocked down a 3-pointer from the left wing in transition as
time expired to give Brooklyn an 84-78 margin entering the fourth
Game Notes
Phoenix shot 48.1 percent from the floor (39-of-81) and sunk 26-of-29 from the
foul line … Brooklyn tallied 25 points off 20 Suns turnovers … The Suns
outrebounded the Nets 44-37.
