Field Level Media
Mar 14, 2021
Malcolm Brogdon scored 25 points while Doug McDermott and Domantas Sabonis added 22 apiece to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 122-111 victory over the host Phoenix Suns on Saturday night.
Sabonis added 13 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals while notching his fifth triple-double of the season as the Pacers won for just the second time in the past eight games.
Myles Turner scored 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting and contributed eight rebounds and four blocked shots for Indiana. Caris LeVert added 13 points in his Indiana debut and Justin Holiday scored 10 points.
Devin Booker registered 20 points and seven assists, and Dario Saric scored 17 points but the Suns had a five-game winning streak halted and lost for just the fourth time in 21 games.
Deandre Ayton added 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Mikal Bridges and Abdel Nader also had 14 points apiece for Phoenix.
LeVert started in his first appearances for the Pacers sent being acquired from the Brooklyn Nets in mid-January. A small cancerous mass on his left kidney was discovered during the required physical exam and he underwent surgery and was later given a clean bill of health.
LeVert played 27 minutes and was 5-of-14 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds for the Pacers, who shot 52.9 percent from the field and were 13 of 28 from 3-point distance.
Phoenix connected on 47.3 percent of its shots and hit 12 of 31 from behind the arc.
The Pacers led 73-70 midway through the third quarter before erupting for 12 straight points and 21 of 24. Brogdon capped the burst by racing for a layup to give Indiana a 94-73 advantage with 1:08 remaining.
The Pacers held a 97-77 lead entering the final stanza and the Suns later scored eight straight points to pull within 104-93 with 6:21 left on Booker's dunk.
McDermott responded with a jumper and Brogdon drilled a 3-pointer to push the lead back to 16 with 5:30 left.
Phoenix later crept within nine but McDermott and Brogdon answered with baskets to give Indiana a 115-102 lead with 3:10 to play and the Pacers closed it out.
Sabonis scored 14 first-half points as the Pacers held a 62-57 lead at the break.
Indiana opened the second half by scoring seven of the first nine points, taking a 69-59 lead on Turner's 3-pointer with 9:48 remaining. The Suns moved within three midway through the stanza before the Pacers went on their decisive run.
--Field Level Media