The Brooklyn Nets are on their first win streak not involving the Detroit Pistons since early December. Positive signs for a Nets team coming off their best win of the season, in a 33 point victory over the Utah Jazz. Grab the Nets as a slight home underdog over the Suns.

Nic Claxton is averaging a career-high 10.4 rebounds per game this season. Over his last five games, he finished with 11 or fewer rebounds three times. That’s despite him logging 34 minutes per game during that stretch. This is not a great matchup for him against the Suns, who have given up the third-fewest rebounds per game in the league. The last time he faced them, he hauled in only seven rebounds over 33 minutes. It’s also worth noting that Ben Simmons is back for the Nets. In just 18 minutes against the Jazz on Monday, he hauled in eight rebounds. He could also cut into Claxton’s rebounding production.

Im going to go back to the Kevin Durant well on a discounted scoring line for the former MVP. KD is still playing huge minutes, in addition to leading the Nets in nearly every single counting stat, as well as shooting splits and scoring metrics. KD has failed to eclipse 20 points in four consecutive games but it is merely a byproduct of Devin Booker going nuclear coupled with shot distributions flowing elsewhere as he has not exceeded 15 FGA's (averages 19.1 on the season). I don't typically buy that he'll be any more motivated against a former team, but I do anticipate an aggressive performance and the game projects to be high scoring.