Game Recap
The Pacers were one of the hottest teams in the NBA bubble in Orlando. Unfortunately, they ran into an even hotter team on Thursday afternoon.
Three players recorded double-doubles as the Phoenix Suns (30-39) picked up their fourth straight win to open the restart, a 114-99 victory over Indiana (42-27). The Suns and Toronto Raptors are the only two teams that have yet to lose in seeding game play in Orlando.
Malcolm Brogdon led the Pacers with 25 points, six rebounds, and six assists in the loss, going 9-for-16 from the field and 4-for-7 from 3-point range.
The Pacers held an early 9-7 lead, but Phoenix seized control of the contest with a 17-0 run. Indiana went scoreless for 5:15 to allow the Suns to surge ahead, missing seven shots and committing three turnovers over that span.
"I just think they got off to a great start," Pacers center Myles Turner said after the game. "Their pressure kind of sped us a bit and we started playing at their pace instead of playing our brand of basketball."
After missing his first four attempts, T.J. Warren finally came to life late in the first quarter, converting a layup, a dunk, and a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions. Goga Bitadze's 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the frame capped a 12-2 Pacers run and trimmed the deficit to 28-23 after one.
But the Suns opened the second quarter with six straight points to push their lead back to double digits. Deandre Ayton scored nine points in the frame as Phoenix extended its advantage as high as 13 points.
Once again, however, the Blue & Gold closed the quarter strong, stringing together an 11-2 run at the end of the half to make it 52-48 at the break.
The Suns maintained a narrow lead for most of the third quarter. The Pacers caught a break, however, when Devin Booker, Phoenix's leading scorer, picked up his third, fourth, and fifth fouls in quick succession and had to check out of the game with 7:18 remaining in the frame.
Indiana eventually moved in front with an 8-2 run late in the period, but the Suns responded with 14 unanswered to close the quarter. Dario Saric scored seven points and Cameron Payne added five in that stretch as Phoenix took an 86-75 lead into the fourth.
Payne and Saric combined for seven more points to open the fourth quarter and push the margin to 18.
Pacers head coach Nate McMillan then went back to his starters, who quickly mounted a charge. Victor Oladipo knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers before Brogdon added a trey of his own. Two free throws by Oladipo capped an 11-0 Pacers run and suddenly it was a 94-88 game with 8:08 remaining.
But Mikal Bridges and Ayton scored on Phoenix's next two possessions and Booker added a three shortly thereafter to make it a 13-point game midway through the final frame. The Blue & Gold never seriously threatened the rest of the way.
"I just didn't think that we had a flow all night long...didn't think that we established ourselves defensively," McMillan said after the loss. "I thought the focus was more on the offensive end."
Myles Turner finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks for Indiana. Warren added 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Oladipo finished with 16 points on 4-of-11 shooting in 31 minutes.
Ayton led Phoenix with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Booker (20 points and 10 assists) and rookie Cameron Johnson (14 points and 12 boards) also recorded double-doubles for Phoenix.
Now halfway through their eight seeding games, the Pacers will be back on the court on Saturday night, when they take on the Los Angeles Lakers.
Inside the Numbers
After committing 10 or fewer turnovers in each of their first three games in Orlando, the Pacers had 10 turnovers in the first half alone on Thursday and finished the game with 15 giveaways, leading to 18 Suns points.
Brogdon topped 20 points for the second time in three games in Orlando. He had 20 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in Monday's win over Washington after sitting out Saturday's opener against Philadelphia with a neck strain.
Warren recorded his second double-double in four games in Orlando. He did not have a double-double in 60 games prior to the restart.
The Suns outscored Indiana 52-44 in points in the paint and 18-5 on the fastbreak.
You Can Quote Me On That
"I thought that our focus was more on the offensive end of the floor. Defensively we didn't do a good job of containing...and we just got pounded on the boards." -McMillan
"I personally let a couple slip...that can't happen in the future." -Turner on the Pacers being outrebounded
"Their second unit went on a run and gave them a comfortable lead and then when (the starters) came back in, we weren't able to regain it." -Oladipo on the difference down the stretch
"I think we're a little bit tired...This is a tough run that we're on, a lot of games in a short number of days. We're going to do our best to try to win games heading into the playoffs." -Brogdon
Stat of the Night
The Pacers were outrebounded 53-38 overall and 12-5 on the offensive glass on Thursday.
Noteworthy
- The Suns snapped a six-game skid against the Pacers with Thursday's victory.
- Pacers forward Doug McDermott was scratched shortly before the game with a sore right knee.
- Bitadze made his Orlando debut after sitting out all three scrimmages and the first three seeding games with a sore left knee. The rookie center finished with three points and one rebound on 1-of-4 shooting in 10:41.
Up Next
The Pacers take on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 6:00 PM ET.