Source: Andy Lyons / Getty
(INDIANAPOLIS, IN) – Devin Booker was the story of the night, but the Indiana Pacers (26-20) put together a team performance to defeat the Phoenix Suns (26-19) on Obi Toppin’s late basket 133-131.
FIRST QUARTER:
Last night the Indiana Pacers opened the game with a 11-2 run against Philadelphia. Tonight, they jumped ahead of the Suns 8-2. However, the big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal went to work. Booker scored 15 of the next 18 to take a 20-10 lead. Durant would knock down a couple jumpers, but it was all Booker in the first quarter. Indiana was able to trim the deficit to five points before Phoenix extended it back to nine to close the first quarter leading 40-31. Booker was responsible for 29 of those 40 points. Indiana’s leading scorer was Pascal Siakam with 9 points. As a team, Phoenix was 15/22 (68.2%) and Indiana was 14/23 (60.9%).
SECOND QUARTER:
The second quarter was just as electric, high scoring, and crazy as the first. Phoenix would match their first quarter with another 40 points in the second. The quarter started with the Suns maintaining a double-digit lead and extending it to 17 points with a Durant midrange jump shot to make it 54-37. Rick Carlisle’s team would come together to close out the half strong to cut their deficit to ten. Phoenix led 80-70 after 24 minutes. Indianapolis native Eric Gordon had it going for the Suns with 12 second quarter points. Off the bench for Indiana with 16 points in the quarter was Obi Toppin. He had a stretch where he scored ten straight for Indiana. At halftime, Booker led all scorers with 37 points. Siakam trailed Toppin by a point for Indiana in scoring.
THIRD QUARTER:
Indiana’s late surge in the first half carried over to the start of the second half. After trailing by double figures for the majority of the first half, they quickly cut it to a two-possession game. In 90 seconds, they went from down ten to down five because they started getting stops along with making shots. Phoenix would do a good job at maintaining a 5-9 point lead until the final three minutes where Indiana cut it to three points on three different occasions. Unfortunately for Indiana, they couldn’t close the quarter strong. Phoenix would lead 114-105. Booker’s total was up to 52 points after the third. Siakam led the Pacers in scoring for the quarter with 12 points and for the game with 27. Aaron Nesmith added eight points to have 20 points after 36-minutes.
FOURTH QUARTER:
After shooting over 65% in each of the first three quarters, Indiana’s defensive intensity and relentlessness ramped up. Phoenix went 8/26 (30.8%) from the field and 1/10 from distance. Booker scored 10 of their 17 points on 5/11 shooting. Fast forward a few minutes into the quarter, with 3:48 left, Indiana was down 127-120. They went on a 9-2 run to tie it 129 with 1:23 left. Andrew Nembhard and Nesmith were catalysts for the turnaround with their defense. Nembhard’s offensively scored six straight points to tie the game again at 129 after Booker made his last field goal of the game. With 26.3 remaining, Indiana had the ball with the game tied.
With the game on the line, former Pacers Head Coach Frank Vogel would go to the hottest player in the NBA besides Luka Doncic (who scored 73 tonight by the way). Nesmith would contest his three and it would only hit the floor. Not the rim, backboard, or even the net. Indiana wins 133-131.
TOP PERFORMERS: Pascal Siakam (31p, 7r, 4a, 2s), Obi Toppin (23p, 11r, 3a), Andrew Nembhard (22p and 8a), and Aaron Nesmith (22p, 7r, 3a, 2b). For Phoenix, Devin Booker (62p, 5r, 4a, 6 threes) and Kevin Durant (20p, 7r, 6a). For tonight’s full box score, click here.
NOTES: Booker’s 62 points are the second highest points scored against the Pacers in franchise history and most points scored in Indianapolis. Additionally, it’s the 14th game with 30+ points, 3rd with 40+ points, 2nd with 50+ points, and first 60+ point game. Booker’s 29 first quarter points are the seventh most points in a quarter since it was started being tracked in 1946 and the second most in a first quarter in NBA history. Andrew Nembhard’s 22 points are a season high. Pacers are now 2-7 on the second night of a back-to-back and snapped their six-game losing streak in those situations.
NEXT UP: The final game of the four-game road trip is Sunday with the Memphis Grizzlies visiting Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tip-off between those two teams is set for 3:30pm with the Kroger Pregame Show starting at 3:00pm with Pat Boylan on 93.5/107.5 The Fan.
