No Kyrie, no KD but Nets overcome 24-point hole to beat Suns 128-124

James Harden scored 38 points and the Brooklyn Nets overcame a 24-point deficit to stun the Phoenix Suns 128-124 on Tuesday night (16 February). The Nets were playing without two of their three main stars, but Harden was more than up for the challenge against the Suns. Kevin Durant was out with a hamstring injury while Kyrie Irving was held out with lower back tightness.

Harden's 3-pointer from a few feet beyond the arc with 31 seconds left gave the Nets their first lead of the game at 126-124 and he hit two more free throws with 11.3 seconds remaining to polish off the win. Brooklyn's fourth straight victory marked a triumphant return to Phoenix for coach Steve Nash, while his former team had their six-game winning streak snapped.

Chris Paul scored 29 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough for the Suns. Devin Booker added 22 for the home side but 16 came in the first quarter.