The Nets’ bench has been much-maligned, but Tuesday the reserves helped Brooklyn run its home winning streak to four by downing Phoenix. And it was backup point guard Shane Larkin who stole the show against the small-ball Suns.
Phoenix plays small under most circumstances, and with former Knick Tyson Chandler missing a second straight game, the Nets knew what kind of lineup they would face. Lionel Hollins gave Larkin 30 minutes, 17 seconds of playing time, and the young guard repaid him with 11 points and a career-high eight assists.
“They played a lot of small-ball, so at shootaround we did a lot of small-ball lineup stuff and it worked out pretty good,’’ the former Knick said after the Nets’ 94-91 victory over the Suns at Barclays Center.