The NBA returned to China on Friday for the first time since 2019, as the Phoenix Suns topped the Nets in overtime, 132-127, inside a roaring Venetian Arena in Macao.
For the NBA, it was more than just a game; it was a reconnection after six years of silence. For the players, a bright, loud stage half a world away to rebuild ties on Chinese soil and reintroduce the league’s global brand to a massive audience.
The Suns looked every bit the team still shaking off jet lag early. Led by a starting five of Nolan Traore, Cam Thomas, Terance Mann, Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton, Brooklyn pounced early and led by as many as 18 points.
Thomas, playing on a $6 million qualifying offer this season, brought a flamethrower with him to Macao. The Nets guard wasted no time setting the tone and came out firing, hitting his first two shots to spark an early 9-0 run less than two minutes into the game.
Traore, who played 18 minutes in Brooklyn’s 123-88 defeat of Hapoel Jerusalem last Saturday, started in place of fellow rookie Ben Saraf and made his first layup attempt in the opening minutes of regulation after beating three Phoenix defenders down the court in transition.
Brooklyn’s offense continued to click, opening the game a perfect 10-for-10 from the field and racing out to a 14–2 lead behind balanced scoring. Porter capped the run with a smooth 3-pointer, pushing the margin to 17–4 with 8:22 left in the first quarter.
After Thomas checked out with 4:14 left in the period, already sitting on 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, the Nets’ offense lost some of its early spark. Phoenix finally settled in, outscoring Brooklyn 13–9 over the final stretch to trim the deficit to 39–29 entering the second quarter.
And then came the moment the crowd in China had been waiting for.
Fanbo Zeng checked in for Porter with 3:08 left in the half, drawing loud applause from the hometown crowd in Macao. The 22-year-old forward, born in Harbin, returned home as both a local favorite and a symbol of Chinese basketball’s growing global reach. His first taste of preseason action was brief, though — he quickly picked up two fouls in his first three minutes and finished minus-15 in 10 minutes.
Thomas poured in 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting in the first half, powering Brooklyn to a 71–59 lead. The Nets shot a blistering 60% from the field and 53.8% from deep, with three players already in double figures. Their biggest flaw was turnovers. Brooklyn gave the ball away 14 times through two quarters, leading to 21 Phoenix points and keeping the game from becoming a full-blown rout.
More Brooklyn turnovers helped the Suns claw their way back, and once Phoenix began trapping Thomas and applying pressure, the Nets’ offense unraveled. Brooklyn managed just 13 points on 2-for-16 shooting with seven turnovers in the third quarter, watching a once–double-digit lead slip into a five-point deficit heading into the final frame.
Suns star Devin Booker caught fire in the third quarter, scoring 12 of his team-high 18 points to spark Phoenix’s comeback. Both teams sat most of their high-usage veterans down the stretch.
With the Nets leading 121–119 and 4.6 seconds remaining, Zeng fouled Suns guard Jared Butler on a hard drive to the rim. Butler calmly sank both free throws to tie the game, and Danny Wolf’s running heave at the buzzer fell short, sending the game to overtime.
While Brooklyn was ultimately outscored in overtime and finished with 34 turnovers that led to 42 Phoenix points, there were still plenty of positives to draw from Friday’s performance.
Rookie guard Drake Powell made his long-awaited Nets debut after missing time in training camp with left knee tendinopathy, the same issue that sidelined him during Summer League. In 13 minutes, he tallied six points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal, flashing explosive athleticism, a smoother handle than expected and the defensive edge that made him a standout as a freshman at North Carolina.
Fellow rookie Wolf impressed as well, finishing with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists in 14 minutes while playing with confidence and poise. The Nets’ starters shot 55% from the field, led by Thomas’ game-high 22 points in 24 minutes, and Brooklyn’s bench added 70 more to round out an encouraging offensive showing.
Still, turnovers and excessive fouling ultimately cost the Nets a chance to finish the job. They’ll get another shot at the Suns on Sunday in Macao.
