The Nets were defeated 113-107 by the Suns in front of a sellout crowd of 18,071 at Barclays Center, their largest since moving to Brooklyn. It was the Nets' latest failed test, as they fell short against the league's best one again. Nash's admission echoed the Nets' last meeting with a top team when they were thrashed by the Warriors on Nov. 16. Since then, they'd won four consecutive — until the Suns, who had won 16 in a row, made them appear lost and listless. In the fourth quarter, the deficit grew to 22.
James Harden was the most culpable of the Nets, both in terms of looking lost and coughing up the ball. Mikal Bridge's length perplexed the Nets star, who was booed for the first time by the home crowd, as he committed seven mistakes. Harden scored 12 points 14 assists, and 13 rebounds against Durant's 39 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.