Suns at Pacers
The Indiana Pacers did not have much luck when the schedule makers were taking care of January. The Pacers will make a brief stop at home to host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday after completing a four-game trip and before heading out for five of the next six away from Indiana.
The Pacers came within a few minutes of sweeping the four-game road trip but fell in overtime in the opener at Miami on Jan. 4 and went down again in extra time in the finale at Houston on Sunday. Star Paul George battled a shooting slump on the trip but made his mark on the other end of the floor with 14 steals in the four games, including seven in Sunday’s loss. The Suns have not won on the road since beating Chicago on Dec. 7, and are losers of 10 of their last 11 overall after falling to the Miami Heat at home on Friday. Phoenix is still struggling to make up for the loss of Eric Bledsoe (knee) and can’t seem to find any improvement on the defensive end.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix) FSN Indiana
ABOUT THE SUNS (13-26): Phoenix is last in the league in field-goal percentage defense (47.5) and is surrendering an average of 106.1 points. “It’s communication but it’s also understanding,” center Tyson Chandler told the Arizona Republic of the defensive woes. “You’ve got to know what you’re trying to accomplish to communicate it. If you don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish out there, more than likely you’re not going to talk because you don’t know what you’re doing.” Rookie guard Devin Booker has taken over Bledsoe’s place in the starting lineup and is still learning on the defensive end.
ABOUT THE PACERS (21-16): Indiana watched a 13-point lead beginning the fourth quarter evaporate on Sunday and scored the first six points of overtime only to fall 107-103 to the Rockets. Monta Ellis was off the mark on a potential game-winning shot at the end of regulation and missed again on a tying attempt in the final seconds of overtime, putting a damper on an otherwise solid performance that included a season-high 13 assists. Ellis took on a larger role as a distributor on the road trip and averaged 9.3 assists in the four games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. George went 10-of-36 from 3-point range on the road trip.
2. Suns G Brandon Knight is averaging 23 points in the last four games
3. Phoenix has taken four straight in the series and won four of its last five at Indiana.