The Phoenix Suns continued their winning streak in the NBA with a 133-98 victory over the injury-hit Indiana Pacers on Thursday, while the Toronto Raptors secured a valuable road win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 126-113.
In Phoenix, Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks combined for 65 points (33 for Booker and 32 for Brooks), leading the Suns to their fifth consecutive win against a Pacers side missing several key players due to injuries.
Reserve Owusu Iguodaro added 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
The Suns, seventh in the Western Conference with an 8-5 record, have achieved a series of encouraging results despite undergoing a rebuilding period following the departure of their stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, and the appointment of young coach Jordan Ott (40 years old), who is beginning his head coaching career after serving as an assistant coach at several teams.
Meanwhile, the New York Pacers, who reached the NBA Finals last season, suffered their 11th loss in 12 games, placing them second-to-last in the Eastern Conference. Their star player, Tyrese Halliburton, remains sidelined after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in June.
The Pacers also suffered their sixth consecutive loss since their only win this season on November 1st.
The Pacers, coached by Rick Carlisle, are going through a difficult period. In addition to a host of injuries, with Canadian Benedict Mathurin, Quinton Jackson, Obi Tobin, and Cam Jones all sidelined, Cody Martin missed the game against the Suns due to illness.
The Pacers have suffered heavy defeats of nearly 30 points in their last three games, with their 35-point loss to the Suns being their worst of the season.
Aaron Naismith also joined the list of injured players after leaving the game in the third quarter with a left knee injury sustained in a collision with a teammate.
Carlisle, whose team has the worst record in the league along with the Washington Wizards (1-11), said after the game that he hopes Naismith's injury isn't "too serious."
"At this point, it looks like we've probably avoided a very serious injury, but he'll be out for a while," he added.
- Sixth win in 7 games -
At Rocket Arena in Cleveland, the Raptors surprised the home team, establishing a commanding lead from the second quarter, 38-24, which they maintained until the final buzzer.
The Raptors secured their sixth win in their last seven games, placing them sixth in the Eastern Conference (7-5).
Scotty Barnes led the Raptors with 28 points, 8 assists, and 10 rebounds, while Emmanuel Quickly contributed 25 points and Austrian Jakub Burrell added 20 points and 7 rebounds.
For Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell's 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists weren't enough to prevent his team's loss. Cleveland appeared fatigued just 24 hours after their victory over the Heat in Miami, a sentiment echoed by Evan Mobley, who managed only 7 points in 35 minutes.
- Johnson's Stunning Triple-Double -
Jaylen Johnson led the Atlanta Hawks, who were missing several key players, to a 132-122 victory over the Utah Jazz with a stunning triple-double of 31 points, 18 rebounds, 14 assists, and 7 steals.
Center Onika Okonjo-Iweala led the Hawks with 32 points, including a career-high 8 three-pointers, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks. His teammate, Zachary Risacher, added 11 points.
The Hawks held off a stellar offensive performance from Jazz star Lauri Markkanen, who scored 40 points.
The Hawks led by 18 points at halftime and 15 in the third quarter, but the Jazz battled hard, even taking the lead twice in the fourth quarter, before the visitors ultimately secured the win.
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