Nets get last laugh with impressive win over Kevin Durant, Suns

PHOENIX — In their return to Phoenix, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson got some payback against the Suns team that traded them — and Kevin Durant, the star that forced the move in the first place.

Facing Durant for the first time since he forced a move last season, the Nets pulled out a 116-112 victory over the Suns at Footprint Center.

And the two centerpieces they got back played huge roles.

Bridges had 21 points, while Johnson added 15 and five rebounds on 3 of 6 shooting from 3-point range.

Cam Thomas had a team-high 24 for the Nets who put every starter in double figures.

“As much as I try to want myself to root against them but I can’t. I’ve got guys out there that I want to succeed,” Bridges said before Wednesday’s game. “I’ve got friends there I want to do well so it’s tough going against them. But tonight was a good night to go against them and not really root for them. So it’s gonna be good.”

Brooklyn (13-10) held on for a huge win against the debut of the Suns’ Big 3 — with Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal playing together for the first time.

The Nets are intimately familiar with Durant-led Big 3s — with their trio of Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden ending when Durant forced a trade in February.

“Yeah, you got a lot of scorers man, they all could freaking score 30, average 30, so it’s tough. It’s going to take everybody following the game plan and stepping up and helping each other,” Bridges said earlier. “But it’s tough. You’ve got three freaking guys that can score it at will. But you have to make it tough and just be physical and just play tough defense.”

The Nets played just tough enough against the Suns (13-11).

Booker was the best player on the floor — with 34 points, 12 assists and six rebounds — and Durant added 27 and six boards. But the Nets still had the last laugh against their former superstar.

“Yeah I’m excited to see everybody that I worked with, spent a lot of time with. So yeah, it’s good to see everybody,” Durant said before the game. “I played with Nic [Claxton], I played with Cam, I played for Coach [Jacque] Vaughn. I played with Spencer [Dinwiddie] before. So there’s a few guys on the team I played with. I see these dudes over the summer. … So it’s just good to see everybody. I haven’t seen these people in a while, have some really great memories and some special ties with them. So it was good to get everybody a hug and just to catch up.”

Durant’s free throw gave Phoenix a 22-18 lead, but Brooklyn responded with a huge 19-0 run that spanned the first and second quarters.

Bridges struggled for much of the night, but his one hot spell sparked the streak, with eight quick points. And Johnson’s 3-pointer padded the lead to 37-22 just 47 seconds into the second period.

By the time Booker broke the drought, Brooklyn had forced Phoenix into five straight misses and a couple of turnovers.

The Nets shot 6 of 7 in the run, 4 of 5 from deep.

Brooklyn saw the lead cut to 64-56 at halftime and lost it altogether in the third. Thomas’ 3-pointer gave the Nets a 67-60 lead.

They surrendered an 8-0 run and fell behind on Booker’s midrange jumper.

The Nets took the lead again, 78-77 on a free throw with 6:17 left.

But they went ice-cold, missing six straight shots in a three-minute scoreless drought.

Phoenix scored eight unanswered to surge ahead 85-78 by the time Dinwiddie finally snaked inside to score a layup.

Still down 88-84 in the waning moments of the period, the Nets mounted a 7-0 run that spanned the quarters.

Thomas’ 3-pointer put them ahead 91-88, and they never trailed again.

Nasir Little’s 3-pointer briefly pulled Phoenix into a tie, but another Thomas 3 and a Dorian Finney-Smith layup pushed the lead to five.

The closing moments were nervy, and the Suns had several chances to tie. But clinging to a three-point cushion that was tenuous at best, Dinwiddie drilled a clutch 3-pointer for a 112-106 edge with 1:54 to play.

Brooklyn held on from there.