On January 5th, Beijing time, the Phoenix Suns suffered a 108-126 loss to the Indiana Pacers on the road, marking their fourth consecutive defeat (seven losses in their last eight games). In the first half, the Suns were able to compete with the Pacers, but their defense collapsed in the third quarter, allowing 28 points to 40 and falling behind by 12 points. The game quickly entered garbage time in the fourth quarter. It seems that the Suns really need to consider trading for Butler if they want to see any changes.
Bill, who had to leave early in the previous game due to injury, returned without any issues. The trio of stars reunited, with Bill scoring 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal in the first quarter (2 out of 5 shots, 1 out of 1 three-pointers), Booker scoring 5 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists (2 out of 3 shots, 1 out of 1 three-pointers), and Durant scoring 10 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 block (4 out of 7 shots). All three stars performed well, but the Pacers' balanced scoring kept them ahead by one point.
In the second quarter, the Pacers once led by 7 points. The Suns' second lineup, including Okogie, Morris, and Bol, finally stepped up to score continuously, with Durant also scoring 4 points (2 out of 2 shots). However, Bill's shooting dropped to 1 out of 5, and Booker's shooting also dropped to 1 out of 4. It is rare for the Suns to win a game with their bench outscoring the opposition by 1 point. On the Pacers' side, all ten players in rotation have scored, with Sika scoring 9 points, Haliburton scoring 9 points, and Turner scoring 9 points.
The Suns' defense collapsed in the third quarter, allowing the Pacers to score 40 points. After three quarters, Sika had 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, Haliburton had 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, Masealin had 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists, Turner had 18 points and 6 rebounds, and Toppin had 13 points. Despite Durant's best efforts with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists in three quarters, the Suns still trailed by 12 points under Budenholzer's adjustments, with Booker making 5 out of 11 shots and Bill making 3 out of 11.
In the fourth quarter, Durant's defense continued to falter, and he was substituted after playing for 6 minutes as the game entered garbage time. Booker played for 11 minutes in the fourth quarter but only scored 5 points, while Bill played for 3 minutes before the game entered garbage time. The Suns lost this game too badly.
In the entire game, Durant played for 38 minutes, making 9 out of 14 shots for 25 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 turnovers. Booker made 7 out of 15 shots for 20 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 turnovers. Bill made 3 out of 12 shots for 8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 turnover. The Pacers played too easily with six players scoring in double figures.
Article by Yan Xiaobai: Suns Watch