Game Recap: Suns drop first game on east-coast swing to the Pacers 126-108

In what was hoped to be a strong start to their road trip, the Suns fell short once again.

The Phoenix Suns fall to the Indiana Pacers 126-108.

Giving up 40 points in the third quarter, the Suns found themselves in a deep hole against the Pacers and were unable to regain their footing in the second half.

Tyrese Haliburton filled up the stat sheet with 27 points and 8 assists, providing the leadership necessary to guide the Pacers to victory over a Suns team still searching for answers.

It might be easy for teams to overlook a Suns squad that appeared completely lost, but this should have been a surprising visit from Phoenix—one that could have caught the Pacers off guard if they underestimated them.

The painful losses continue to swallow the Valley.

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Game Flow

First Half

It didn’t take long for the Suns to resemble their 2024 form in their first game of 2025, starting with a few turnovers and falling behind 7-0. However, by matching the Pacers’ pace, the Suns managed to keep the game close. Bradley Beal scored five points, and at the first timeout, the Suns were down by just four, 15-11.

Ryan Dunn, starting against the Pacers on Saturday night, showcased hustle on both ends of the floor and quickly tallied four points. Dunn dominated in the paint, and despite being blocked at the rim on his first attempt, he bounced back with a couple of smooth finishes near the basket, displaying confidence and control with his touch around the rim.

he Suns grabbed their first lead of the game when Kevin Durant knocked down a tough fadeaway jumper. Durant finished the first quarter with 10 points, providing the spark the Suns needed to stay competitive. At the end of the period, Phoenix trailed the Pacers by just one.

Tonight’s game had a different feel for the Suns, who showed resilience early on. Even when trailing by six, they refused to let the game slip away. Down 38-32 in the second quarter, Devin Booker stepped up, orchestrating a rally to tie the game. The team’s energy remained high, with the Suns feeding off their star players and maintaining their focus on both ends of the floor. Momentum was building, and it felt like Phoenix was ready to make a statement.

But the Pacers stayed one step ahead, capitalizing on four fast break points and five second-chance points by the four-minute mark in the second quarter. While those numbers might not seem overwhelming, they proved to be the difference, with the Suns trailing 52-47.

The Pacers’ ability to create extra opportunities highlighted their hustle and composure, keeping the Suns on their heels. Despite Phoenix’s efforts to keep pace, Indiana’s knack for turning small openings into points kept the pressure on and maintained their slight edge in a tightly contested game.

Even with Bol Bol negating shots at the rim, the Pacers still ended up with two points on the following possession.

Durant continued to deliver for the Suns, knocking down tough shots and finishing the first half with 14 points. His scoring provided a much-needed boost for Phoenix, but despite his efforts, the Suns still trailed the Pacers at halftime, 61-58.

Second Half

The Pacers knocked down three three-pointers in the first three minutes of the second half, extending their lead to eight points and energizing the home crowd. But it was Dunn again getting to the rim, then hitting a big three to cut the Pacers lead to five points.

What had been a five-point lead for the Pacers quickly grew to an eleven-point advantage. While there were still signs of life from the Suns midway through the third quarter, missed opportunities around the rim by Beal and Booker’s struggles to find his shot allowed the Pacers to maintain control of the game.

Outscoring the Suns 40-28 in the third, the Pacers owned the paint but also forced four Suns turnovers to raise their lead to 12. It was 96-84 entering the fourth quarter.

While Booker worked to fend off double teams at the start of the fourth quarter, both Josh Okogie and Ryan Dunn brought the energy, making key plays to help trim the Pacers’ 12-point lead down to eight. It felt like a moment where the Suns might falter, but instead, they showed resilience and managed to hold things together, keeping themselves within striking distance.

And with Allen hitting a corner three, the momentum began to swing a little in the Suns direction.

Booker had that look in his eye that he wanted to do this himself with Durant and Beal on the bench. After hitting a three to cut the Pacers lead to six points, Booker was then hit with a charging call and the Suns started to slip a little bit. With that. the Suns found themselves down by 11 at the seven-minute mark of the fourth.

It didn’t take much for the Pacers to put the game away, as the Suns were unable to get out of their own way. The bench looked more depleted than ever during a timeout with just two minutes left in the game, but you could see it on the team’s faces that changes are coming soon.

Suns fall to the Pacers 126-108.

Up Next

The Suns head to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers. Tip-off at 5:00.