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Game Preview: Pacers at Suns

Last Updated: Wednesday, Dec. 7, 11:15 AM

Matchup

After beating one of the top teams in the West on Sunday, then falling victim to the Klay Thompson show on Monday night, the Pacers have one day to regroup before heading into the Valley of the Sun to face the Phoenix Suns, who topped Indiana at The Fieldhouse three weeks ago.

Winning both games of their back-breaking back-to-back would have been a big ask for a Pacers (10-11) team still finding its way and reintegrating players who have been in and out of the lineup with injury. But even so, Klay Thompson's 60-point outpouring — the most a Pacers opponent has ever scored in franchise history — was still a tough pill to swallow. On some nights in the NBA, however, a player just has it going. (See: Mo Williams scores 52 against the Pacers).

The Pacers won't have time to dwell on the loss as they quickly turn to their next opponent on their five-game road trip, the Phoenix Suns.

The scrappy team filled with young and talented players was able to spoil Hickory night in Indiana, beating the Pacers 116-96 while Paul George was in street clothes, dealing with a sore ankle.

Since that game, however, the Suns have won just two of their last eight contests.

The group is led by a guard tandem of former Kentucky standouts -- Devin Booker and Eric Bledsoe -- who are both averaging 19 points per game for the 6-15 Suns.

Just as the Pacers were during their dispiriting loss to the Warriors, the Suns will be on the second night of a back-to-back while the Pacers will have a day of rest entering Wednesday's meeting at the Talking Stick Resort Arena. On Tuesday night, the Suns fell 112-105 to the Utah Jazz.

In order to come out of Arizona with a win, the Pacers will need focus on the areas that brought them success against the Clippers on Sunday.

In that win, Indiana forced 20 turnovers, hit 49 percent of its field goals, took 35 free throws, and outscored the Clips 58-36 in the paint. It's a formula the Pacers weren't able to replicate on Monday, but will get another stab at it come Wednesday.

Projected Starters

Jeff Teague

Jeff Teague

Monta Ellis

Monta Ellis

Paul George

Paul George

Thaddeus Young

Thaddeus Young

Myles Turner

Myles Turner

Eric Bledsoe

Eric Bledsoe

Devin Booker

Devin Booker

P.J. Tucker

P.J. Tucker

Marquese Chriss

Marquese Chriss

Tyson Chandler

Tyson Chandler

Pacers: PG - Jeff Teague, SG - Monta Ellis, SF - Paul George, PF - Thaddeus Young, C - Myles Turner
Suns: PG - Eric Bledsoe, SG - Devin Booker, SF - P.J. Tucker, PF - Marquese Chriss, C - Tyson Chandler

Injury Report

Pacers: None

Suns: T.J. Warren - out (minor head injury)

Last Meeting

November 18, 2016: Prior to the game, it was announced Paul George would miss the contest with a sore left ankle. Minutes in, C.J. Miles went down with an apparent knee injury, as the Pacers fell 116-96 in a Hickory game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

With the thinning lineup at small forward, McMillan had to turn to the services of Glenn Robinson III and Georges Niang. Robinson III didn't generate much in the way of offense early on, but made his presence felt in the second half with a rollicking alley-oop from the hands of Monta Ellis, sending The Fieldhouse into a frenzy.

In the third, the Pacers came out of the locker room on a tear, using a 10-2 run which featured seven points from Robinson III to climb right back into the game after trailing by eight at the half.

The Pacers began the fourth quarter trailing by just seven, but midway through the quarter, the Suns went on the game-defining run, outscoring the Pacers 15-2 over a five-minute stretch of play to push the game out of reach for good, as Phoenix won the game's final quarter, 27-14.

Noteworthy

  • In Phoenix's recent win against the Pacers, its bench scored 78 points, the most by any team this season.
  • The Suns have a 48-36 advantage in the all-time series matchup, dating back to 1978.
  • The Pacers and Suns are both top-five in the NBA at forcing turnovers.

Tickets

The Pacers return home on Saturday, Dec. 10, when they will host the Portland Trail Blazers at 7:00 PM ET. Saturday's game is also the second "Decade Game" of the season, and we'll be honoring Pacers players and staffers from the 1970s during the game. All fans in attendance will receive a bobblehead of either Hall of Famer Mel Daniels or Pacers legend George McGinnis. Find Tickets »

Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »

TV: FOX Sports Indiana/NBA TV - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5 FM/AM 1070 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (studio host)

Away Game Night Special

Baker Scarf - 30% off. Game Night Specials can be purchased online the day of each away game from 10:00 AM - Midnight. Order Online »