NEW YORK, Feb 1, (AP): Kevin Durant scored 33 points in his return to Brooklyn, leading the Phoenix Suns to a 136-120 victory over the Nets on Wednesday night.
Durant added eight assists in his first game in Brooklyn since being traded to Phoenix nearly a year ago. He got a mixed reception early before helping take the crowd out of it with 11 points in the third quarter, when the Suns outscored the Nets 42-26 after leading by three at halftime.

Durant’s return earned the game a national-TV slot but it wasn’t much of a contest in the second half. The Suns, with Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, are trying to build a title contender, while the Nets - who not long ago had their own Big 3 with Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden - are 19-28 and outside playoff position.
Jusuf Nurkic added 28 points and 11 rebounds for the Suns, overwhelming an undersized Nets team as the Suns won for the ninth time in 11 games. They improved to 3-2 on a trip that has stops remaining in Atlanta and Washington, Beal’s former home.

Booker finished with 22 points and Eric Gordon had 17. The Suns shot 62% from the field and 50% from 3-point range.
Cam Thomas scored 25 points for the Nets, who had won two straight games. Mikal Bridges, who came to the Nets in the Durant trade, had 21.