New York Post

Hot Suns key test for Nets

- By BRIAN LEWIS

After spending Thanksgivi­ng Day with family and friends, the Nets will enter their showdown with Phoenix on Saturday sitting atop the Eastern Conference, having won 12 of their last 14.

Those white-hot Suns? The NBA finalists have ripped off 14 in a row, with only a game Friday at the Knicks standing in the way of bringing a 15game streak into Barclays Center. They’re as tough a test as the Nets, coming off a laugher in Boston that was their most complete performanc­e of the season, could face.

“Yeah definitely . ... And we can continue to build on this,” James Harden said. “We go back home, we’ve got the Suns who, obviously, we all know how they’ve been playing. It’s going to be another great test for us. But we’ve got to continue to get better, continue to keep growing, finding things that work, finding things that don’t work on both ends and keep pushing.”

Devin Booker is averaging 23.1 points and Chris Paul is averaging 10.4 assists for the Suns, so Saturday will be a test for the Nets. Just don’t call it a measuring stick.

“Measuring stick for who? For y’all? Not for us,” Harden scoffed. “If anybody is looking at Saturday as a statement game, it’s not the Nets.

“It’s 20 games into the season. That’s not no measuring stick. We’re still trying to find ourselves and our identity. We don’t measure — we let y’all, the media, blow it up and talk about it. It don’t give you more wins or more losses.

“For us, we focus on ourselves and get better, and that’s all we can control.”

➤ Bruce Brown (hamstring) is expected back Saturday for the Nets. … Kevin Durant — who grew up in Prince George’s County (Md.) — is helping to renovate the Baltimore Bullets’ old arena.

➤ YES Network will air the second half of a sit-down interview with Nets co-owner Clara Wu Tsai during Saturday’s pregame show.

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