Pacers kick off 5-game trip with rout of Suns

[January 15, 2018]  Indiana guard Darren Collison scored 19 points to lead seven Pacers in double figures in a 120-97 rout of the Phoenix Suns at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix on Sunday.

Victor Oladipo had 17 points and Bojan Bogdanovic had 14 for the Pacers (23-20), who overcame a 22-point deficit to beat Cleveland on Friday but were never in danger against the slumping Suns.

Reserve guard Cory Joseph scored 16 points and center Domantas Sabonis had 14 rebounds for the Pacers, who led by 33 points late in the third period and turned to the bench the rest of the way.

Collison played 27 minutes and forward Thaddeus Young played 25, the only starters to play as much as the half the game in the first of the Pacers' five-game road trip that includes two sets of back-to-back games, including one Monday in Utah.

Forward Josh Jackson lead the Suns (16-28) with 21 points in his first game back after missing two with a hip injury. The Suns have lost four of five.

Devin Booker, who averages 24.4 points per game, had 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting. Reserves Troy Daniels and Isaiah Canaan had 13 points apiece and Alex Len had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Indiana committed only six turnovers and shot 54.5 percent from the floor while making 11-of-23 3-pointers. Oladipo, Young, Bogdanovic and Joseph made two apiece.

 

 Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) shoots against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Suns did not lead after the first three minutes, and reserve forward T.J. Leaf's dunk with 8:20 remaining in the first half enabled the Pacers to double the Suns, 42-21.

Indiana led by 20 at halftime, and Leaf's 3-pointer with 1:55 remaining in the third quarter gave the Pacers a 33-point lead, 92-59.

The Suns shot 41.2 percent from the floor and made 9-of-37 3-point attempts.

Suns forward Dragan Bender, who had 34 points and made 9-of-14 3-point attempts in the past two games, did not score in 30 minutes. He was 0-for-7 from the field, 0-for-6 on threes. He started for the second straight game in place of injured Marquese Chriss.

--Field Level Media

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