Three Takeaways From the Nets' Tight Loss to the Suns

Coming off a poor performance in Chicago, the Brooklyn Nets (12-29) returned home for a difficult matchup with the Phoenix Suns (26-17).

While the Nets got Michael Porter Jr. back, they still found themselves extremely shorthanded, as Cam Thomas (hamstring), Egor Demin (foot), and Day'Ron Sharpe (illness) would all miss Monday's game. Brooklyn gave it their all, but couldn't overcome the injuries in a 126-117 loss to the Suns at the Barclays Center.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the Nets home loss to the Suns.

1. Nolan Traore Impresses Again

Nolan getting to the bucket in a flash ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/TyI6tJzd1u
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 20, 2026

Just one day after scoring a career-high 16 points in Chicago, Nolan Traore followed up that performance with another strong game on Monday. The 19-year-old rookie put up ten points on 3-8 shooting from the field. He struggled in the second half, but was fantastic in the opening 24 minutes.

Traore has started to come into his own over the past few weeks, as he has seen more consistent minutes off the bench. His recent development is another bright spot for Brooklyn's rookie class, which has seen Egor Demin, Danny Wolf, and Drake Powell shine at various points this season. Four of the five first-round picks have shown some serious flashes, which is very important for the future of the franchise.

2. Depth Shows Up

back to back 3s by Drake pic.twitter.com/BOiN2hGsa8
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 20, 2026

There have been a lot of nights where Michael Porter Jr. has been the only consistent offensive presence for the Nets. That wasn't the case on Monday. MPJ had some help on the offensive end. Brooklyn ended up having seven different players score in double digits against the Suns, putting a little less pressure on Porter Jr.

It was great to see Ziaire Williams back in the lineup and stepping up with 15 points off the bench. Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton put together solid performances in the starting lineup to assist Porter Jr. With a couple of key guys out due to injury, the Nets' depth was tested in a big way on Monday. And they passed with flying colors.

3. Brooklyn Battled To The End

HELL YEAH MANN!@terance_mann | #NetsWorld pic.twitter.com/CjuzJTsiBY
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 20, 2026

On the second night of a back-to-back, with both games in different cities, this game looked like it was going to be another ugly loss for the Nets. The Nets trailed by 20 with five minutes to go in the first half, but they decided not to quit. The Nets ended the half on a 24-8 run to get right back into it. They then fell behind by 18 early in the fourth quarter, and ultimately got it back to a four-point game before Phoenix pulled away.

After a poor effort in Chicago on Sunday, this was a much better effort for Jordi Fernandez's team. While they didn't get the win in the end, the process is very encouraging for a young team. They came in shorthanded, on the second night of a back-to-back, and never gave up. For all their flaws, you can't fault the fight on this team.