By Dan DurkinThe Phoenix Suns (26-18) defeated the Brooklyn Nets 99-92 on Friday night in their best-of-seven series.
The Nets had a strong showing against Phoenix, and they were led by rookie point guard Josh Jackson who finished with 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
Isaiah Thomas had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns, while Devin Booker added 17 points and eight assists.
The Suns also made six 3-pointers, which was their highest total of the series.
Isaiah had a career-high 24 points against the Nets last season.
The win snapped a six-game losing streak for the Nets, who fell to 0-2 on the season.
They’ve now lost four of their last five games.
The team shot 38.7 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from 3-point range, giving up 103 points in the first quarter and 111 points in second.
The teams combined for just 12 assists.
Brooklyn, led by Isaiah Thomas, is shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc and 37.5 percent from behind the arc this season.
Phoenix, meanwhile, is just 6-19 in games when leading by as many as 20 points.
Phoenix is 0-3 when trailing by 20 points or more.
The Suns had their best start of the season, shooting 42 percent (14 of 25) from the floor.
They had seven straight wins over the next two months, but their offensive struggles started on Jan. 23 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers scored 25 points in a 96-85 loss to the Suns.
Brooklyn shot just 39.9 percent from long range, while Phoenix was 11 of 17.
The Nets were playing without the injured Gerald Wallace, who has missed the last four games with a strained right quadriceps.
The Celtics were without Jae Crowder, who was sidelined with a sprained left ankle.
They were led in scoring by 6-foot-10 big man Markelle Fultz with 16 points.
Fultz, who scored 14 points against Phoenix last season, is averaging 16.3 points and shooting 41.3 from beyond 10 feet this season, while shooting 43.9 from beyond 3 feet.
He has shot 55.7% from the line in his last seven games.
Brooklin, which had won five of six, was led by 19 points by rookie big man Marcus Thornton, who led all scorers with 16.
Thornton was one of the best rebounders in the league last season when he was with the Boston Celtics.
Thornton had 16 rebounds in the loss to Phoenix.
The Knicks (25-20) fell to 2-10 against the Suns after losing a home-and-home series against the Lakers and Dallas Mavericks.
New York lost the series opener 107-91.
The Pelicans have dropped three of four after going 0-5 in the month of January.
They are tied for the NBA’s worst record at 4-16, and have scored just 105.3 per game.
The Knicks will play in their first game since losing Kevin Love to the Memphis Grizzlies.
New Orleans had five players score in double figures in Friday’s loss.
