The torrid Phoenix Suns will pursue their 11th consecutive victory when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.
The winning streak is Phoenix’s second-longest of the campaign. The Suns won a franchise-record 18 straight earlier in the season.
Not only does Phoenix possess the NBA’s best record at 40-9, the club already has clinched the best 50-game start in franchise history. The Suns previously went 39-11 on three occasions, including the 2006-07 season when Nets coach Steve Nash was their star player.
Sunday’s 115-110 home win over the San Antonio Spurs assured Phoenix will have the best record in the Western Conference by Feb. 6, the NBA’s cutoff for All-Star participation. That accomplishment means Phoenix coach Monty Williams and his staff will coach Team LeBron in the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 20.
“It’s a huge blessing to be in this position where you can be the caretaker of an organization and represent the city, the team, your family,” Williams said of the All-Star accolade. “I’m mindful of all the sacrifices that people make so I can be in this position. It’s a team effort for sure.”
Standout point guard Chris Paul — hoping to receive his 12th All-Star invitation — said the milestone has been on the minds of the players.
“Over the course of the long season, there’s nothing wrong with having a little benchmark, a little goal,” Paul told reporters. “I’m just happy for Monty, happy for our staff.”
Paul nearly recorded a triple-double against the Spurs with 20 points, a season-best 19 assists and eight rebounds.
Star guard Devin Booker scored 28 points and small-forward Mikal Bridges scored a season-high 26 on 11-of-16 shooting.
“He’s gotten so much better,” Williams said of Bridges. “He’s gotten used to setting screens and making plays out of that.”
The Nets arrive in the desert with a season-worst four-game losing streak. Overall, Brooklyn has dropped 11 of its last 17 games.
The Nets hope to have star guard James Harden on Tuesday. He is listed as questionable after a strained right hand forced him to miss Saturday’s 110-106 road loss against the Golden Warriors.
The good news for Brooklyn is that Harden was able to practice with the team on Monday.
Nash said Harden had been bothered by the hand on a minor basis before waking up Saturday morning with a high level of discomfort.
“He doesn’t remember an event,” Nash said of Harden per when the injury occurred. “But the scan shows the irritation, the strain, and he has said he’s had it for a number of days, so I think the deduction would be that he must have irritated it shooting and lifting (Friday).”
Harden last played on Jan. 25 when he had 33 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists during a 106-96 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. That represented his ninth triple-double of the season and 67th of his career.
Veteran forward LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) will sit out after being injured against Golden State. The Nets remain without star forward Kevin Durant (knee), who will miss his eighth straight contest.
“Improving,” Nash said of Durant on Monday. “But we don’t have any timelines or anything like that. But he’s going in the right direction, clearly.”
Kyrie Irving scored a season-high 32 points in the loss to Golden State and is averaging 24.5 points in eight games. Irving is playing only in road games due to his unvaccinated status and New York’s COVID-19 requirements.
Patty Mills added 24 points and made six 3-pointers against the Warriors.
Phoenix center Deandre Ayton (ankle) will miss his eighth straight game, one of seven Suns players ruled out. Landry Shamet joined the injury report with a right ankle sprain he sustained against the Spurs.
The Suns recorded a 113-107 road win over the Nets on Nov. 27 in the first meeting of this season. Booker scored 30 and Paul added 22 for the Suns while Durant tallied 39 points and Harden had 12 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists for Brooklyn.
