Game Rewind: Pacers 131, Suns 97

After missing four games with a sore right shoulder, it wouldn't have been surprising if Myles Turner needed a few games to find his rhythm. Turned out, he just needed a few quarters.

Turner caught fire in the third, making all four of his shots in the frame as the Pacers turned an 11-point halftime lead over the Phoenix Suns into a rollicking 23-point advantage, cruising to the 131-97 victory on Tuesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

In his return to the court, Turner posted an impressive 18-point, six-rebound performance, helping power the Pacers past the Suns in the second half to tip off Indiana's five-game homestand with a convincing victory.

"He's the best shot blocker in the league," said point guard Darren Collison after the game. "Consciously, as the opposing guard, you're always worried about where he’s at on the court. Myles has been there for us all season long."

Indiana (29-14) was also aided by the offense of Bojan Bogdanovic and Tyreke Evans, who each notched a game-high 20 points in the #PacersWin.

The Suns (11-34) — who struggled to find offense all night — were led by T.J. Warren, who scored 18 points in the defeat.

It was all Boganovic to start the game for the Pacers, as the sharpshooting small forward scored Indiana's first 10 points, then assisted Thaddeus Young on the fastbreak to put Indiana up 12-6 early.

Even after a Phoenix timeout, the Pacers continued to roll offensively, closing the opening quarter on an 11-2 run that was capped by a buzzer-beating shot from Cory Joseph to put Indiana up 38-19.

To begin the second quarter, the Pacers quickly got themselves in foul trouble, allowing the Suns to open up the quarter with eight free throw attempts.

The Suns steadily drew the score closer in the second, getting it down to just seven when rookie Deandre Ayton powered through three players to convert a layup to make it 50-43.

But from that point forward, the Pacers were able to push it back to double-digits, carrying 62-51 lead into the halftime locker room despite a steal and slam from Suns swingman Kelly Oubre Jr. to close the quarter.

To open up the second half, Turner helped power the offense, scoring five quick points as part of a 7-2 sprint to start the third quarter, forcing a Suns timeout just 2:28 into the period.

Out of the stoppage, it looked as if Phoenix might be working its way back into the game, getting an and-1 from Warren and a putback from Ayton, but veteran guard Darren Collison had other ideas.

DC converted on back-to-back 3-pointers from the corners, then collected a steal at the top of the key and took it straight to the rack, capping off a one-man 8-0 run to put Indiana up 77-58 with 7:50 remaining in the third quarter.

Things only got worse for the Suns from that point forward, as Indiana continued to pile it on, at one point taking a 26-point lead on a 3-pointer from Bogdanovic.

By the end of the quarter, Indiana had outscored Phoenix 34-22, taking a comfortable 96-73 lead into the fourth.

From there, the Pacers were able to close out the game with primarily reserve players on the floor as they collected their 29th victory of the season.

"We have to take it one game at a time," Collison said. "We’re playing some really good teams here on out, we have to stay humble, stay locked in, stay focused."

The Pacers outrebounded the Suns 52-43.

Indiana outscored the Suns on the fastbreak 27-12.

The Pacers were on fire from long range, making 12-of-25 3-point shots.

"In an 82-game season, you’re probably not going to play perfect at the defensive end. We did have our lapses, but we were able to get today, have a good start defensively and make something happen at the offensive end. When we play good defense like that, we pretty much get what we want on offense." -Darren Collison

"I thought guys came out - both units - and played the second quarter. We came out and started fouling right away, kind of lost our flow, lost our rhythm in that second quarter, getting ourselves into the penalty early and really being on our heels. But really for three quarters I thought the guys came out with the energy, the focus to play this game the right way, respect the opponent and just play the game." -Pacers head coach Nate McMillan

"We didn't show up. We didn't show up in the first quarter...the way we opened the game, that wasn't part of the game plan. We got a couple of defensive stops, but didn't convert them into points. 10 turnovers is way too many, we were down the entire game. In the second quarter, we played the way we were supposed to, the way we were capable, but there is not much that we can take from this game." -Suns head coach Igor Kokoskov

The Pacers got to the free throw line for a season-best 36 attempts. Their 26 makes from the stripe was also a season high.

Indiana's five-game homestand continues with a primetime matchup against Jimmy Butler, Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons as the 76ers pay a visit to Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Thursday night at 7 PM ET. Secure Your Seats »

Jack's Donuts: Visit your local Jack's Donuts the day after a Pacers victory and mention the Pacers win to receive a free twelve ounce coffee with any purchase. Visit JacksDonuts.com to find the Jack's Donuts nearest you.