Suns and Ayton Burn Brooklyn

Three-time All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker returned to the lineup for first time since Christmas for the Phoenix Suns and they beat the Brooklyn Nets 116-112 Tuesday night.  The win for Phoenix was their 9^th in their last 11 games.  Booker scored 19 points, Mikal Bridges scored 21 and center DeAndre Ayton finished with 35 points and 15 rebounds for the Suns.  Ayton’s 35 points were not a game high because Brooklyn Swingman Cam Thomas scored 43 points.  It was the third consecutive game in which Thomas has reached the 40-point mark.  All three games have come since the absence of Kyrie Irving who the Nets traded to Dallas at the beginning of the week.

Ben Simmons returned to the lineup himself for Brooklyn on Tuesday night after a six-game absence with a sore knee.  He finished with an underwhelming 2 points, four rebounds, and six assists.  Kevin Durant missed his 14^th consecutive game and Brooklyn has a record of 6-8 without him.  The NBA trading deadline is February 9^th and now the focus shifts to whether Durant and the Nets continue their relationship with the exodus of Kyrie.  Or will the Nets go full rebuild mode and trade Durant?