The Brooklyn Nets (1-1) came away from the their first game of two against the Phoenix Suns (2-0) with a unwanted result as they lost in overtime 132-127. Coming into the game, Brooklyn was expected to show more of what they displayed in their first preseason win over Hapoel Jerusalem on Oct. 4, but that did not come to fruition for head coach Jordi Fernandez and company.

The Nets began the game with a sizable lead over Devin Booker and the Suns as they ended the first quarter with a 39-29 lead. The second quarter saw Phoenix play more of an even game with Brooklyn, but the Nets were still able to widen their lead to 71-59 at halftime thanks to the contributions of players like guard Cam Thomas and forward Noah Clowney.

Thomas, who is playing on his one-year, $6 million qualifying offer (QO), led the way for the Nets to the tune of 22 points, three rebounds, and six assists in 24 minutes of playing time while Clowney, one of Brooklyn’s third-year players trying to maintain a role in the rotation, had a strong performance with 13 points and four rebounds. Here are three Nets takeaways from Friday’s loss to the Suns:

Cam Thomas Is Still The Primary Scoring Option

After the first preseason game in which the shot distribution was more even across the board, Friday’s preseason game saw Thomas take the bull by the horns as the leader of the offense. Thomas played 24 minutes in the game and finished with 22 points, three rebounds, and six assists while the second-leading scorer was Michael Porter Jr. scored 13 points in another efficient performance.

Nic Claxton Appears Set For Career Season

After a solid outing against Hapoel Jerusalem, Claxton had much more of an impact against the Suns as he dropped 12 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, showing his offensive versatility across the board within this offense. Claxton has had solid seasons over the past couple of years, but with the way that he is playing thus far in the preseason, he could be primed for a career year.

What Is Going On At The Point Guard Spot?

Nolan Traore started in Friday’s preseason game after Ben Saraf started against Hapoel Jerusalem on Oct. 4 with both players having various outings along the way. Against the Suns, Traore had six points, one assist, and four turnovers while Saraf had nine points and one steal with two turnovers. Egor Demin is still recovering from his plantar fascia injury, but the point guard rotation is looking unsettled at the moment.