Phoenix Suns (39-27) beat Indiana Pacers (15-51) 123-108 on the road on Thursday, March 12.
The game, quarter by quarter
The teams matched each other with 36 points apiece in the first quarter, leaving it level at 36. The Suns moved in front with a 31-25 second quarter, carrying a 6-point lead into halftime.
The Suns won the third 29-27 to create some separation, taking a 8-point lead into the fourth. The Suns took the fourth 27-20; the Suns finished the job for a 123-108 regulation win.
What decided it
The Suns took better care of the ball, turning it over on 12.3% of possessions compared with 16.5% for the Pacers. The Suns got more from their shots, finishing at 59.7% effective field-goal shooting compared with 52.4% for the Pacers. Those extra possessions were crucial.
The Pacers did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 26.8 against 20.5. The Suns made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 97 possessions per team, the Suns produced 126.4 points per 100 possessions to 111 for the Pacers.
The Pacers' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 66-19.
Who made the difference
Devin Booker was the game's biggest individual force for PHX: 43 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast on 14-31 shooting. His Game Score of 31.8 led everyone.
Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 23 pts, 0 reb, 2 ast on 6-7 shooting, good for a 22.1 Game Score.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Suns about a 68% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Indiana Pacers lead 2-1.
The Suns are now 39-27, and the Pacers are 15-51. The Suns last five before this game: W-L-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.