Thursday night’s NBA slate features a battle between recent NBA Finals runner-ups, as the Phoenix Suns host the Indiana Pacers at Mortgage Matchup Center.
The Suns (7-5), who fell to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 Finals, are riding a four-game winning streak that’s propelled them to seventh in the Western Conference. The Pacers (1-10), meanwhile, are hoping to regain any semblance of momentum left over from their magical run to the Finals last season.
Phoenix will be without Jalen Green (hamstring), while Indiana’s injured list reads more like a CVS receipt — Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles), Obi Toppin (foot), Quenton Jackson (hamstring), Johnny Furphy (ankle), Bennedict Mathurin (toe), and Kam Jones (back) are all sidelined.
Tipoff is set for 9:00 p.m. ET. The Suns enter as 4.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Pacers are listed as +154 underdogs. The game’s total is set at 232.5 points.
Pacers vs. Suns Preview
The Suns enter Thursday night on the second leg of a back-to-back, coming off a win over the struggling Dallas Mavericks that extended their winning streak to four games. Returning home after a short road trip, Phoenix will look to keep the momentum rolling at Mortgage Matchup Center, where it owns an impressive 5-1 record.
After a sluggish start to the season, the Suns have climbed back to league average by most metrics. Phoenix ranks 16th in offensive rating and 14th in defensive rating, producing a perfectly average 15th in net rating.
Phoenix can be sloppy with the ball at times, though it also ranks second in generating steals on the other end. The Suns are most dangerous from beyond the arc, making the NBA’s third-most threes per game (16.3) at a top-five clip (38.6%).
Star guard Devin Booker continues to set the tone, leading the team with 28.2 points and seven assists per game, while shooting 49.6% from the floor and 37.9% from downtown. Former Hornets big man Mark Williams has also impressed in his first season in the desert, contributing a team-high 8.7 rebounds a night and formidable interior defense.
The outlook hasn’t been as bright for Indiana. The Pacers have sandwiched their lone victory of the season between a pair of five-game losing streaks and enter Thursday night with a brutal 0-6 record on the road — most recently losing by 24 points against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake.
Injuries have continued to fester throughout the roster since Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The paper-thin Pacers sit 23rd in defense and 29th in offense, resulting in a miserable 28th-ranked net rating — unrecognizable from just five months ago.
Still, not all hope is lost. Indiana leads the Eastern Conference in rebounds and is particularly dominant on the offensive glass. While the Pacers don’t generate many steals, they do a solid job of limiting their own turnovers. And while their defense is riddled with holes, they’ve locked down the perimeter — holding opponents to just 33.3% from three, a top-five mark in the NBA.
With so much talent on the sidelines, forward Pascal Siakam has stepped up in every facet of the game, leading the team with 24.6 points,7.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Pacers vs. Suns Best Bet
Indiana’s perimeter defense could pose a challenge to Phoenix, which scores the highest percentage of points from three in the NBA. Even so, the Suns have more tools at their disposal — and far more momentum on their side.
Count on Phoenix to continue dominating on its home court and secure its fifth-straight win in convincing fashion.
