Suns at Pacers
The Phoenix Suns unleashed an offensive onslaught in back-to-back
victories in Philadelphia and Milwaukee earlier this week - but they're
going to find things much more difficult Thursday as they visit the
formidable Indiana Pacers. Phoenix comes into Thursday's marquee matchup
having scored 250 points in the wins over the 76ers and the Bucks - two
teams headed for the draft lottery. The Pacers present a serious
challenge, armed with the NBA's toughest defense.
A key for the
Suns will be to get continued offensive production from the backcourt
duo of Goran Dragic and Gerald Green. The two combined for 54 points in
Monday's 124-113 triumph over Philadelphia, then racked up 53 points to
help the Suns get past Milwaukee 126-117. Indiana has the best record in
the NBA thanks to a defense allowing a little more than 90 points per
game, but surrendered 124 in a loss to the Suns in their previous encounter Jan. 22.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), FSN Indiana
ABOUT THE SUNS (26-18): Every team in the NBA would love to know how Phoenix managed to hang a season-high point total on the Pacers. As with most of the Suns' victories in the absence of injured guard Eric Bledsoe, it was Green and Dragic leading the way with 44 combined points on 14-of-23 shooting. Phoenix shot 54.2 percent from the field and 68.8 from 3-point range, prompting Indiana head coach Frank Vogel to say: "Heck of an offensive performance ... their shot-making was off the charts."
ABOUT THE PACERS (35-9): The Pacers' defensive woes didn't end with the lopsided loss in Phoenix. Indiana surrendered 111 points in a narrow overtime win over Sacramento and was torched for 109 in a loss to Denver the following night before settling back into form with a 104-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. "We've got to hold ourselves to a higher standard," center Roy Hibbert said following the win. "There were some games we dropped that we should have won on this trip. We'll get better."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Phoenix has won five of the last seven meetings, with the winning team scoring at least 110 points five times in that span.
2. Dragic averages 14 points in seven career games against the Pacers.
3. The Suns are 5-5 in the second game of a back-to-back this season.