Suns at Nets
The Brooklyn Nets will once again be without star guard Kyrie Irving when they host the Phoenix Suns on Monday. Just as he was heating up after spending nearly two months on the sidelines due to a shoulder injury, Irving suffered a ligament sprain in his right knee during Saturday's 113-107 loss in Washington.
An MRI conducted Sunday revealed the nature of the injury and Irving - who scored 54 points Friday against Chicago and averaged 27.9 in eight games in January - will be reevaluated in a week. Brooklyn won three straight games in which Irving appeared prior to the setback against the Wizards, which dropped the Nets to 3-2 thus far in a run of seven straight games against sub-.500 opponents. The Suns fit that bill and they opened up their three-game road trip with a 129-108 loss at NBA-best Milwaukee on Sunday. Devin Booker scored 32 points in the setback and has reached the 30-point mark in four of his last five games.
TIME: 7:30 p.m. ET. TV: FS Arizona, YES
ABOUT THE SUNS (20-29): Center DeAndre Ayton helped out Booker by contributing 20 points and 14 rebounds, but the other three starters combined for just 24 points on 8-of-33 shooting. The Suns played without starter Ricky Rubio, who was sidelined with an ankle injury and is considered day-to-day. That opened up a few more minutes for fellow point guard Jevon Carter, who tied a season high with 15 points after being held to single digits in each of his previous 29 games.
ABOUT THE NETS (21-27): Spencer Dinwiddie, who scored 26 points in Saturday's loss and is averaging 24.3 over his last four games, will take on more of a scoring load with Irving out, just as he did earlier in the season. Center Jarrett Allen recorded 13 points and 15 rebounds Saturday for his 22nd double-double, but he was frustrated with the fact that the team needs to hit the reset button once again. "If you look at the Nets history, it always happens like this," Allen told reporters of Irving's injury. "Ever since I've been a Net we've always seen people go down."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Nets SF Joe Harris scored 22 points Saturday - his best total since Dec. 17.
2. Suns PG Ty Jerome (leg) also missed Sunday's loss while PF Dario Saric (ankle) is not with the team on the road trip.
3. Booker scored 27 points and six others had at least 12 in a 138-112 rout of Brooklyn at home earlier in the season.