Nets at Suns
THE STORY: Going just 1-9 in their last 10 games, the New Jersey Nets look to snap a three-game losing streak Friday when they visit the Phoenix Suns. The Nets made a franchise-record 20 3-pointers on 35 attempts but it was not enough in a 123-115 loss at Denver on Wednesday. The Nets have been in trade talks with Memphis about guard O.J. Mayo, according to a report Thursday by Yahoo Sports. The report said the Grizzlies would get Anthony Morrow and a draft pick for Mayo, but added the talks seem to have stalled. Steve Nash was one of six Suns in double figures with 16 points, becoming the 15th active player to reach 16,000 points, but Phoenix fell to Cleveland 101-90 Thursday night. “At the end of the year, you're going to look back to this game and probably say it's a bad loss – at home to a team you should expect to beat,” Suns guard Jared Dudley said. “They played a little bit harder and made more shots.” New Jersey has lost four in a row to Phoenix.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, YES (Nets), FS Arizona (Suns)
ABOUT THE NETS (2-9): The game would have featured a matchup between identical twins Brook and Robin Lopez, who played collegiately at Stanford. But Brook suffered a broken foot and had surgery three weeks ago. He is not expected back for at least eight weeks. Brook was drafted 10th by the Nets and Robin 15th by the Suns in the 2008 draft. Robin has seen little time, averaging 5.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in two minutes per game.
ABOUT THE SUNS (4-6): Michael Redd played his first game for Phoenix on Thursday, scoring 12 points in 19 minutes. Redd made his first two 3-pointers. Redd signed with the Suns as a free agent but had not played since last April with Milwaukee. He has had two knee surgeries and played just 61 games the past three seasons. Redd said his playing time “felt more like 40 minutes. I felt a little rusty but it was to be expected. I didn’t get winded.”
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. New Jersey’s last win in Phoenix was Nov. 30, 2008.
2. The Nets are last in the NBA in points in the paint at 30.5 per game.
3. The Nets and Suns split the 2010-11 season series 1-1. Both games went into overtime.