The Nets are home Saturday, but the opponent is powerful Phoenix, complete with 7-1, 325-plus-pound center Shaquille O'Neal.

Out West, every game is important -- teams can drop perilously amid the tight bunch-up for the playoffs. So the Suns will be looking to repeat the performance they laid on the Nets in Phoenix in January.

Amare Stoudemire scored 28 points -- back in the pre-Shaq days, of course -- and the Suns built a big lead early and then watched the Nets dissolve in the fourth quarter. Richard Jefferson scored 24 points but it was hardly enough to stave off a 116-92 Nets defeat.

The last time the Nets and Suns played in New Jersey, Dec. 7, 2006, last season, staged one of the most memorable games in NBA history. The Suns registered a 161-157 double overtime victory that was a pure offensive shootout.

PACERS 123, NETS 115: The Nets are scoring more points than they have in recent years. But they're giving up more as well. And that's the problem.

So despite scoring at least 114 points for the fifth time in eight games, the Nets sustained a potentially devastating loss to their playoff hopes, a 123-115 defeat against the Pacers. When the night ended, the Nets, coupled with the Hawks beating Chicago, were one-and-a-half games behind the eighth playoff spot in the East with nine games remaining.

Offensively, the Nets were special. They got 33 points from Vince Carter, a career-high 27 points from Devin Harris, 19 from Richard Jefferson and 15 points each from Josh Boone (16 rebounds as well) and Marcus Williams.

Defensively? The Pacers hit 14 three-pointers and had 26 points from Danny Granger plus 21 points and 17 rebounds from Troy Murphy.