Shorthanded Phoenix Suns edge Brooklyn Nets 106-102 after late scuffle and frantic finish in Phoenix
Game context: depleted Suns, surging Nets rally falls short
The Phoenix Suns held off a late Brooklyn Nets comeback to secure a 106-102 win in Phoenix on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, in a game that turned tense and disjointed in the final minutes. Phoenix played without key backcourt pieces, including Devin Booker (right ankle) and Jalen Green (right hamstring), but still managed to end a two-game skid.
Brooklyn entered the night mired in a prolonged slump and left with a sixth consecutive loss, extending a stretch in which the Nets have dropped 14 of their last 16 games. Despite that, the visitors briefly seized control late, turning a double-digit deficit into a short-lived lead before Phoenix closed the final possessions more cleanly.
Key performances: Williams and Brooks answer Porter’s season-high
Center Mark Williams led Phoenix with 27 points, repeatedly producing in the paint as the Suns leaned into interior scoring. Dillon Brooks added 26 points, including late free throws that swung the lead for good. Grayson Allen finished with 18 points and delivered a key score to pull Phoenix even in the closing minutes.
For Brooklyn, Michael Porter Jr. authored a season-high 36 points, providing the bulk of the offense for long stretches and keeping the Nets within reach even when secondary scoring stalled. Rookie Egor Dëmin scored 15 points, but Brooklyn struggled to generate consistent scoring outside of Porter, particularly as the game tightened.
How it turned: a 19-5 Brooklyn run, then Phoenix’s response
Phoenix led 91-81 midway through the fourth quarter before Brooklyn surged. The Nets ripped off a 19-5 run, capped by a Porter three-pointer that pushed Brooklyn in front 100-96 with 3:33 remaining. Phoenix immediately countered with quick interior points from Williams, and Allen tied the game at 102 with 1:39 left.
Brooks then converted two free throws with 1:23 remaining to put Phoenix ahead 104-102. Brooklyn’s final possessions deteriorated: the Nets failed to get a shot off on one trip, committing a shot-clock violation, and Porter’s last-chance attempt did not fall.
Late confrontation: technical fouls and an injury amid separation efforts
With 1:23 left, a Phoenix steal and ensuing scramble in the paint escalated after the whistle. Brooks attempted to pull the ball away from Brooklyn’s Ziaire Williams, prompting Dëmin to push Brooks as players and staff moved in to separate the groups. Officials assessed technical fouls to Dëmin, Terance Mann and Porter for Brooklyn, and to Allen and Royce O’Neale for Phoenix.
The sequence paused play, produced multiple technicals, and underscored the physical tone that had built over the closing quarter.
What’s next
Brooklyn continues its road trip at Denver on Thursday, January 29, 2026.
Phoenix hosts Detroit on Thursday, January 29, 2026.