Brooklyn Nets: Player grades from Christmas Eve eve win over Suns

1 of 7

The Brooklyn Nets got their holiday break off to a rousing start, leading almost start to finish in a 111-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

The Brooklyn Nets weren’t seriously challenged at Barclays Center Sunday night after their nine-point first-half lead dwindled to two early in the third quarter and eased to a 111-103 victory to complete a season sweep of the Phoenix Suns.

For the Nets (16-19), it was their eighth win in their last nine games and sent them into their two-day Christmas break with their first winning record for a full calendar month in almost four years secured.

Brooklyn is 8-4 in December with three games remaining. Their last full month with a winning record came in March 2015, when they were 9-7. That was also the last season the Nets made the playoffs.

More from Nothin' But Nets

Brooklyn led for almost 46 minutes, compared to 18 seconds for Phoenix (8-26) in a game that featured just three ties and one lead change.

The Suns did make it somewhat interesting late, cutting into Brooklyn’s 20-point fourth-quarter lead, but didn’t get the margin into single digits until there was just 13.6 seconds remaining.

For a Nets team that has played 11 games decided by three points or less, the most in the NBA, it was a pleasant departure from a stressful norm.

Brooklyn shot 47.1 percent (40-for-85) overall and was 10-for-27 from deep (37 percent), but struggled at the foul line, going 21-for-33 (63.6 percent). However, 10 of the 12 misses came from Ed Davis (1-for-7) and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (4-for-8).

The Nets won the rebounding battle and had a 13-10 edge in second-chance points, but had 17 turnovers to just 12 for the Suns, surrendering 23 points and gaining just 15 in return.

Phoenix hit 48.3 percent from the floor (43-for-89) and were 30-for-48 in the paint (62.5 percent) while holding a 60-56 edge from that area. But the team might have as well been named after the ice planet Hoth of Star Wars fame after shooting just 3-for-17 from 3-point range (17.6 percent).

Here are the player grades for the Nets from one of their seemingly rare stress-free victories.