Pacers Lose to the Defending Champs

Indiana was outscored by 20 points in a brutal third quarter, falling 114-109 at home to the Denver Nuggets. Myles Turner led Indiana with 22 points and Pascal Siakam added 16 points and 10 rebounds in his first home game since being traded to Indiana last week.

All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton again sat out with a strained left hamstring and has already been ruled out of Indiana’s next two games. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, who drew two quick technical fouls and was ejected in the third quarter, knew the difference was Nikola Jokic and his triple-double. “The two defining plays of the game were the 3 at the end of the first half and the 3 at the end of the game,” Carlisle said. “He’s just much more aggressively looking for those shots in those situations and there’s just no hesitation. Those are great players making great plays.”

The Pacers have lost three straight overall, and they struggled offensively against the battle-tested Denver Nuggets. This is not surprising, as they are without Halliburton and Pascal Siakam is still adapting to Carlisle’s offense. They lead the NBA in offensive rating, but they are not the same club without their star point guard and his 12.6 assists per game.

Suns Crush the Mavericks

Phoenix exorcised some playoff demons Wednesday night after they ran away from Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks 132-109. Devin Booker scored 46 points, including 22 in the third quarter when Phoenix ran away with the game. Booker got to the impressive point total on a screeching hot 17-for-23 mark from the field that included a 6-for-10 mark from three-point range. This came just three games after an explosive 52-point showing against New Orleans.

Kevin Durant had 12 points and 10 rebounds, sitting for most of the fourth. “I just think when teams have a recent playoff series against each other, that just heightens the atmosphere and heightens everything,” Booker said. “The media does a good job of continuing it because they know it gets traction, which is good for the game, it’s good for viewership. I have no personal problem with anybody from Dallas, no fans or anything.”

Bradley Beal finished with 20 points and Grayson Allen chipped in 15. It was a wacky type of game and a chippy one. The Suns trailed 51-35 midway through the second, but Booker gave them their first 20-point lead on a driving layup with four minutes left in the third.