The Nets wasted a career night by Michael Porter Jr. and a late lead with a minute to play.
And when it was over, they had fallen 106-102 to Phoenix before 17,071 at Mortgage Matchup Center on Tuesday night.
Porter poured in 36 points on 15-for-24 shooting, and 6-for-10 from deep. But the Nets squandered his huge effort, and what looked like a great endgame.
After a 16-2 fourth-quarter run, the Nets had a 102-100 lead with 1:52 to play on free throws by Ziaire Williams.
But they couldn’t hold it, giving up the final six points and blowing a chance at a huge road win.
In a testy game, it included a scuffle that broke out after Williams dove on a loose ball and chaos ensued.
With Brooklyn down 104-102 with 1:14 left, Williams dove for the ball and Dillon Brooks tried to pry the ball from him or tie him up.
Egor Dëmin pushed Brooks, who had picked up a technical earlier in the night for tossing him to the ground. Phoenix’s Royce O’Neale came in and pushed Dëmin, and Terance Mann — who had suffered a flagrant foul earlier — got into it with O’Neale.
Williams got hurt on the play and had to be helped off the court.
In the end, Allen gave the Suns four-point lead. Porter missed a late jumper, and the Nets lost both Williams and the game.
The Nets have lost six straight and are now just a game out of a top three spot in the lottery race.
