National Basketball Association
Phoenix 112, Indiana 107
When: 9:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 21, 2023
Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Officials: #40 Leon Wood, #15 Zach Zarba, #32 Marat Kogut
Attendance: 17071

Dependable Mikal Bridges had 22 points and four steals, Bismack Biyombo and Josh Okogie made surprising contributions and the Phoenix Suns overcame the absence of four starters to defeat the visiting Indiana Pacers 112-107 on Saturday night.

Starting in place of Deandre Ayton, Biyombo anchored a strong defensive effort with a season-high 16 rebounds and combined with Okogie for seven blocked shots as the Suns limited the visitors to 37.5 percent shooting en route to a second straight win to open a five-game homestand.

Bennedict Mathurin had 23 points off the bench and T.J. McConnell a triple-double to pace Indiana, which dropped its seventh in a row and second in two nights.

In a tight affair in which neither team led by more than 10, the Suns, who also were without Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Cam Johnson, appeared to take control when Okogie buried a 3-pointer for a 102-94 lead with 3:47 to play.

But the Pacers chipped away, getting within 104-101 with 1:56 remaining on a three-point play by Mathurin, then as close as 109-107 when Buddy Hield buried a 3-pointer with seven seconds left.

The Suns left the door to overtime ajar when Saben Lee missed one of two free throws with 5.4 seconds remaining, but Hield misfired on a potential game-tying 27-footer with 2.7 seconds left.

Okogie then iced the win with two free throws with nine-tenths of a second left.

Okogie, who had scored more than 14 points just once all season, finished with a team-high 24 to go with 10 rebounds and four blocks for the Suns, who complete a home back-to-back against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night.

Biyombo and his backup, Jock Landale, also completed double-doubles, Biyombo with 12 points and three blocks, Landale with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Damion Lee (16 points) and Lee (12) also scored in double figures for the Suns, who won despite shooting just 41.8 percent.

McConnell's triple-double, the third of his career, consisted of 18 points and season-highs in assists with 12 and rebounds with 10.

Hield used a game-high five 3-pointers as the foundation for a 22-point night for the Pacers, who were without injured star Tyrese Haliburton.

Indiana also got 16 points and a team-high 12 rebounds from Myles Turner, and 11 points from Jalen Smith.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Indiana   Phoenix
Bennedict Mathurin 23 Scoring Josh Okogie 24
T.J. McConnell 12 Assists Mikal Bridges 4
Myles Turner 12 Rebounds Bismack Biyombo 16
Bennedict Mathurin 11 Free Throws Made Josh Okogie 11
Buddy Hield 2 Steals Mikal Bridges 4
Myles Turner 4 Blocks Josh Okogie 4
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Indiana 107 37.5 13-37 22-26 22 48 4 10 15
Phoenix 112 41.8 12-31 24-35 27 55 8 9 15
Upcoming Games
  • Phoenix will play their next game at home against Memphis. The Suns have a W/L % of .545 after a win and .440 after a loss.
  • Indiana will play their next game at home against Chicago. The Pacers have a W/L % of .478 after a win and .480 after a loss.