KEY POINTS
- Mark Williams scored a season-high 27 points to lead the shorthanded Phoenix Suns to a 106-102 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
- The game featured a heated fourth-quarter altercation involving multiple players that resulted in five technical fouls being assessed.
- Michael Porter Jr. dropped a season-best 36 points for Brooklyn, but it was not enough to stop the Nets’ losing streak from reaching six games.
The Phoenix Suns relied on grit and late-game execution to overcome both a significant injury list and the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night. Despite playing without stars Devin Booker and Jalen Green, the Suns managed a 106-102 win at the Footprint Center. The victory snapped a two-game slide for the home team while deepening the crisis for a struggling Brooklyn squad.
Mark Williams anchored the Phoenix effort with an efficient 27-point performance, shooting 13-of-15 from the floor. He dominated the interior, helping the Suns rack up 72 points in the paint. Dillon Brooks provided essential perimeter scoring with 26 points, including two clutch free throws that gave Phoenix the lead for good with just over a minute remaining.
The contest remained competitive throughout, but the tension boiled over during the final stretch. With Phoenix leading by two points with 1:14 left, a loose-ball scramble turned into a physical altercation. Following a whistle, Brooks and Ziaire Williams grappled for the ball, prompting Brooklyn’s Egor Demin to intervene with a shove.
The incident drew assistant coaches and players from both benches onto the floor. Officials eventually restored order after a lengthy review process. They assessed technical fouls to Demin, Terance Mann, and Michael Porter Jr. for Brooklyn, while Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale received technicals for Phoenix.
Before the chaos, Brooklyn had fought back from a ten-point fourth-quarter deficit. Michael Porter Jr. was nearly unstoppable, hitting six three-pointers on his way to 36 points. His final triple gave the Nets a late 100-96 lead before Phoenix responded with a game-closing 10-2 run.
Grayson Allen proved pivotal during this closing stretch, scoring 14 of his 18 points in the second half. He tied the game with less than two minutes to play and later drove for a layup to seal the outcome. His veteran presence helped stabilize a Phoenix lineup missing its primary playmakers.
The loss marks the 14th defeat in 16 games for the Nets, who continue to plummet in the Eastern Conference standings. While Demin added 15 points, the team struggled to find secondary scoring outside of Porter Jr.’s heroics. Brooklyn will look to rebound on Thursday when they visit the Denver Nuggets.
Phoenix now shifts its focus to a home matchup against the Detroit Pistons. The team hope to have their injured starters back soon, but this performance proved they can win through interior dominance. The Suns’ ability to finish strong under pressure remains a bright spot in their mid-season campaign.
