Brooklyn @ Phoenix preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 31, 2017 ) Phoenix 122, Brooklyn 114

The Brooklyn Nets were an early surprise team in the NBA this season, but they did all of their damage at home. The road has been a very different story for the Nets, who will try to reverse that trend when they continue a five-game trip against the Phoenix Suns on Monday.

Brooklyn opened the trek with a 124-112 loss at the Los Angeles Lakers to fall to 0-4 on the road, where it has given up an average of 124 points and lost by an average of 11.5 this season. "Our biggest thing this year is just playing defense," swingman Allen Crabbe told the New York Post. "We keep preaching it, but we've got to make improvements over there, man, because we gave up 120 (points) again. Individually and collectively, that's one of the main things we have to do." The Suns completed a 2-3 road trip - which included an eight-point victory at Brooklyn on Tuesday - with a 112-95 loss at San Antonio on Sunday. Devin Booker, who scored 32 points in the win over the Nets, was limited to a season-low nine in the setback.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), FSN Arizona Plus (Phoenix)

ABOUT THE NETS (3-6): Crabbe scored a season-high 25 points in the loss to the Lakers after producing a total of 13 in 76 minutes over his previous three contests. Leading rebounder Trevor Booker missed the game with a sore back and Brooklyn was beaten on the glass by a 57-43 margin. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has produced back-to-back 21-point efforts and D'Angelo Russell, who scored 33 versus Phoenix last week, is averaging a team-high 21.1.

ABOUT THE SUNS (4-6): Booker was 3-of-11 from the floor and committed four turnovers in 26 rocky minutes on Sunday, and the starting five struggled as a whole. The second unit helped Phoenix win the second quarter by a 12-point margin and it finished a combined 18-of-32, with big man Alex Len making all five of his shot attempts and Troy Daniels burying 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Phoenix will be opening a six-game homestand Monday and will play nine of its next 10 overall contests at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Phoenix had a 66-44 rebounding advantage in the first meeting.

2. Daniels is 9-of-13 from long range over a three-game stretch.

3. Russell is 4-of-21 from 3-point distance over his last four games.

PREDICTION: Suns 117, Nets 113