The Phoenix Suns lost to the Indiana Pacers 120-111 and had a lackluster performance. To make matters worse, Devin Booker left the game with groin strain. The team’s ongoing problems with low effort, turnovers and poor execution were clear to see.

After failing to keep up with the Pacers’ sharp shooting from distance in the first half, the Suns struggled to stop anything coming their way in the second half.

Turnover also killed the Suns. Turning the ball over at will led to the Pacers taking an 18-point lead in the second half and never looking back. Even worse, Bradley Beal returned, but Devin Booker left in the third quarter with groin strain.

Things seem to be getting worse in Phoenix, and today’s loss to the Pacers proves that change may need to be made quickly to make things better.

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Game flow

First half

Before you knew it, the Suns took a 17-10 lead, orchestrated by Devin Booker and Tyus Jones, who moved the ball effectively and collected six assists within the first five minutes of the game. Booker also led all scorers with six points, and the Suns’ ball movement was nearly flawless, constantly finding cuts to the rim – like the pass from Booker to Kevin Durant shown below.

After a timeout, the Pacers began the comeback, hitting a few three-pointers to get back into the game and eventually taking the lead from the Suns. With five minutes left in the first quarter, the Pacers took a 21-17 lead. At this point in the game they were shooting 5-for-9 from distance, keeping the competition competitive.

The Pacers took advantage of the Suns’ turnovers to close the first quarter and scored seven points from four takeaways. Oso Ighodaro contributed to some of those mishaps, often finding himself out of position and costing the Suns valuable possessions they needed to stay in the game.

After the first quarter, Devin Booker kept the Suns within striking distance of the Pacers with 12 points, leaving them only three points behind (32-29).

The trend of teams having success from beyond the arc continued as the Pacers made eight of their first 14 three-point attempts early in the game. The Pacers built a 38-33 lead over the Suns early in the second quarter, relying heavily on the three-ball – and it paid off.

Jusuf Nurkic returned in the second quarter and made an immediate impact, making some tough shots to keep the Suns within striking distance.

With four minutes left in the first half, the Suns dominated the field but struggled to match the Pacers’ efficiency from beyond the arc while continuing to turn the ball over far too often. The Suns’ 10 turnovers led to 18 points for the Pacers, who also confidently hit nine three-pointers. As a result, the Pacers had a 54-47 lead and silenced the crowd.

Things became increasingly heated as Coach Bud called for fouls.

Royce O’Neale closed the half with a crucial three-pointer, bringing the Suns to within one point at halftime, 60-59.

Second half

Another Suns turnover led to another three-pointer by the Pacers, extending their lead to 71-64. The Pacers showed no signs of slowing down and were determined to stay competitive by continuing to launch from beyond the arc.

It wasn’t easy for the Suns. Even as they tried to move the ball upfield, the Pacers applied pressure all over the court, knowing that forcing a few more errors could push their lead into double digits.

And that’s exactly what happened. After Nurkic missed a third corner, the Pacers extended their lead to a game-high 11 points by knocking down another three points. At the start of the second half, the Pacers were 5-for-7 from distance, getting open attention and taking advantage of it.

As the Suns struggled to stay in the game, they didn’t even get any help from the referees. The Pacers attempted twelve free throws before the Suns could even shoot their fourth. While it’s never ideal to blame the refs, the Suns were clearly grasping at straws in the third quarter and trying to make something happen.

There was nothing to celebrate after entering the fourth quarter. It was a Suns team that gave up early in the fourth quarter and struggled to get the win. The Suns gave up eight points in a row around the basket and things got worse.

With Booker unable to return to the game due to a strained groin, the Suns got a boost from a dunk from Grayson Allen, cutting the deficit to 11 points with seven minutes to play.

Even Allen couldn’t save the Suns from throwing the game away. The Suns looked defeated and unable to find their footing. Their mental state is weakened and losing another home game with a healthy team, aside from Booker’s injury, is a cause for concern.

The Suns lose 120-111

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Next

Next up, the Suns will host the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, okay?