NEW YORK _ The Nets were streaking the wrong way for eight games, then the right way for seven. And now they were at an intersection in Brooklyn on Sunday night after losing Friday night.
They were playing a team that was at the same intersection. The young Suns had dropped 10 straight, then won four in a row before losing Saturday night. Phoenix expended a lot of energy in falling short, going to triple overtime in Washington on the front side of its back-to-back.
That's one reason the Nets figured to have an advantage at Barclays Center. They just needed not to fall into the web of a classic trap game.
"It's a big test because, I think, you look at the Suns and they played a triple-overtime game, and then you've got Christmas, little (two-day) break coming up," coach Kenny Atkinson said beforehand.
But the Nets were ready and passed the test with a 111-103 win.
Spencer Dinwiddie paced them with 24 points and seven assists off the bench. D'Angelo Russell contributed 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Rookie Rodions Kurucs had his first double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. And Ed Davis scored 15 points with nine rebounds.
The back-to-back streaks by the Nets had been historical. They became just the fifth team in NBA annals to follow a losing streak of at least eight games with a winning streak of seven games. Now the Nets will go for two straight Wednesday night at Barclays against Charlotte, the start of a home-and-home set.
The Nets led by nine in the first half, but Deandre Ayton's short jumper cut it to 66-64 in the third. Brooklyn countered with a 13-0 run. Joe Harris and Russell made 3-pointers, Kurucs drilled a long jumper and dunked, and Jared Dudley hit a 3 to make it 79-64.
When Russell scored on another 3, the lead was 91-74 heading for the fourth. Dinwiddie scored the first points of the quarter on a reverse to make it a 19-point lead. The Suns responded with an 8-1 run to cut it to 94-82 with eight minutes remaining.
Phoenix managed to chip it down to the final eight-point margin in the final minute.
Ayton, who led the Suns with 26 points and 18 rebounds, scored the first points of the game on a layup _ the Suns' lone lead _ and had eight points and three rebounds in the first 5 { minutes.
The Nets have won eight of their last nine and their climb toward .500 has reached 16-19.
Even with winning four of its previous five, Phoenix is in a tie for the worst record in the league at 8-26.
