The Indiana Pacers (23-19) traveled out to the desert to face the Phoenix Suns (13-30) on Tuesday night. The Pacers had previously lost three in a row prior to tonight, the last in an offensive slugout versus the Denver Nuggets. Tonight was an entirely different game for the recently streaky Pacers, as defense was the key to this win.

Indiana Leans On Defense

The Pacers held the lowly Phoenix offense to 34.6 percent on shots and forced 22 turnovers on the evening. Indiana was anchored defensively on strong performances from Paul GeorgeC.J. Miles, and Myles Turner. George had four steals and was a large factor in Brandon Knight turning the ball over eight times. Miles chipped in four steals as well, but the biggest performance came from young Myles Turner. The rookie out of Texas had four blocks and two very close goaltending calls. His coming-out against Denver continued into tonight with a convincing defensive performance roaming the paint for the Pacers.

Balanced Offensive Attack From Pacers

Offensively, the team was led by 20 points from Monta Ellis, 19 from Paul George, and 15 for Myles Turner. Rookie Joe Young backed his performance yesterday with 11 points and a team-best five assists. Glenn Robinson III took advantage of his second start to contribute 10 points, building on a strong resumé for more playing time. Monta's 20 points came with some frustrating moments for the Pacer's elder, as many of his misses came contested at the basket.

Career Night Not Enough

Despite the loss, rookie guard Devin Booker was the silver lining as he finished the game with a career-high 32 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 6-of-11 from behind the arc.

Brandon Knight did turn the ball over eight times, as mentioned earlier, but he did score 21 points and grab eight rebounds. P.J. Tucker was the only other Suns player in double figures with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Injury Report

In injury news, starting center Ian Mahinmi suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter. Despite needing an escort to the locker room immediately afterward, the injury doesn't appear to be serious. It has been diagnosed as a left ankle sprain.

Back To Their Roots

The improved defense tonight was stressed by coach Frank Vogel in the pregame comments and the team responded in a strong way. Before the Suns came storming back in the waning moments of the game, the Pacers had held Phoenix to 31 percent at the 1:00 mark of the fourth quarter. That mark would have been the best defensive percentage on the season for Indiana.

Tonight's quality of opposition wasn't as strong as Friday's opponent, the league-best Golden State Warriors (32-4), the win was important for this road trip. The re-emphasis of defense by coach Vogel and his staff in practice really paid off in a big way. If the Pacers can continue into Friday with a similar fervor on defense, perhaps they could be the first to get a win in Golden State.  

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About the author
Joe Gralak
I'm currently a junior at Indiana University, studying Sports Marketing and Management. My hobbies include support the Indiana sports franchises, working out, and reading. Proud founder of the Splash Hermanos fan club (2014-2015)