Three takeaways from Indiana Pacers weekend win over Phoenix Suns despite 62 points from Devin Booker
The Indiana Pacers picked up an important win on Friday night, taking down the Phoenix Suns in Indianapolis. The Suns entered the night winners of seven games in a row, but the Pacers were in form and were able to get it done.
Star Phoenix guard Devin Booker was incredible all night long, scoring 62 points and getting booed throughout the second half, but Indiana was able to survive his performance and limit other Suns players. On the other end of the floor, they were excellent at knocking down difficult shots, which was huge in the victory.
"A thing that I think everybody likes about our team right now is there is becoming more and more of a defiant competitiveness of our group," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game.
Indiana dramatically picked up their defense in the fourth quarter, limiting Phoenix to just 17 points in that frame. They also did well to attack the rim all night and finished with 84 points in the paint. Those two numbers detail a lot of the Pacers success in the game.
It was an impressive victory for the blue and gold, especially considering they lost to Phoenix just five days prior. They were able to adjust and find a way to win even without Tyrese Haliburton.
The Pacers takeaways from this game all involve specific players stepping up for their teams, and that seems fitting after a game with such tremendous shot making for 48 minutes.
Obi Toppin played a terrific game
Pacers reserve forward Obi Toppin was fantastic, and he changed the game for Indiana. Coming off the bench, the four man finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists on 10/15 shooting.
His play, particularly on offense, was exactly what the Pacers needed all night. He cut to the rim at the right times. Toppin got the foul line and took a few threes, and he crashed the offensive glass when there were chances to do so. In the end, he finished as a +7 on the night.
"Obi Toppin tonight was just tremendous," Carlisle said.
Phoenix tried putting centers on Toppin on defense, and he made them pay by either dragging them away from the rim or cutting right by them with his speed. Toppin also scored well over smaller guards and fought hard on defense.
"He made plays, both ends of the floor," Carlisle added of Toppin's night.
Over half of Toppin's 11 rebounds were of the offensive variety, which was huge for the team. He was a viable option in smaller lineups as a result. And those successes set up Toppin for a huge play — with under five seconds to go, he tracked down a loose ball for an offensive rebound and putback that gave Indiana the lead late.
They held on to win. Toppin's play was a big reason why.
Devin Booker was unstoppable
In a week filled with outstanding scoring nights, Booker joined the group on Friday. He scored 62 points, the most points by an opponent ever in Indianapolis, per the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast.
It was Booker's second-best ever scoring night. He drilled everything. The Suns star was 6/12 on threes, 16/25 on twos, and 12/13 from the foul line. He got to the rim, canned pull up jumpers, and was unstoppable on catch-and-shoot plays. Booker was impossible to guard, the Pacers tried hard to prevent him from getting the ball at all throughout the game.
"Booker obviously had a special game," Carlisle said. The Pacers threw many different coverages at the star guard, but it didn't matter.
Booker had 29 points in the first quarter. He eclipsed 50 before the end of the third period. He was hearing a boo from the crowd every time he touched the ball because he was that fantastic.
Indiana limited Booker somewhat in the final period, when he scored just 10 points on 5/11 shooting. That ended up being a key difference, but that was the only instance all night when the blue and gold could defend him. He was terrific, as most guys are in 62-point games.
Jalen Smith changed the game
Like Toppin, Smith was awesome with the reserves for the Pacers frontcourt. The second he came in the game in the first quarter, Indiana's fortune changed.
The blue and gold trailed by 10 points just after Smith entered for the first time. He quickly scored, had a key block, and grabbed a rebound. His presence on both ends gave the Pacers a boost.
Phoenix, Smith's former team, wasn't quite ready for his physicality at the time. That saved the Pacers from giving away too much momentum in the first minutes of action. They rode their change of fortune and stuck with the Suns for a while.
Smith had 10 rebounds in 20 minutes, added 13 points, and played great defense. A win would have been much less likely without Smith's contributions — which largely went unheralded.
The Pacers beat the Grizzlies two days after this win over Phoenix and next play Tuesday when they battle the Celtics in Boston.
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