INDIANAPOLIS -- Victor Oladipo decided to share Wednesday night's All-Star selection party with his teammates.
They joined right in.
A night after the announcement came, Oladipo had 21 points and nine assists to help the Pacers pull away from the Phoenix Suns 116-101.
"I drew a lot of attention and guys were open. When my teammates are playing well, shooting the ball well, it makes it that much easier for me and everyone else," Oladipo said. "When we play as a unit on both ends of the floor we're really effective."
"For us to compete with a team like that we got to have everybody play well, and we didn't have very many play well.” – Jay Triano on the @Suns’ 116-101 loss to the #Pacers.pic.twitter.com/O4GxgiNW1r
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) January 25, 2018
Indiana was efficient and dominant despite playing without two starters. The Pacers never trailed, never allowed the Suns to get closer than 10 points after the first quarter, built a 38-point lead in the third and still led by 27 with 4:41 left to play.
Five Pacers scored in double figures and Oladipo wasn't even Indiana's top scorer. Thaddeus Young had 22 points.
Sure, Phoenix looked like a team ready to head home following the final stop on a four-game road trip.
But Oladipo and the Pacers took full advantage with a devastating one-two combination: a 13-4 scoring flurry to end the first half and a 16-2 spurt to start the second. That made it 79-44, all but assuring Indiana of its fifth win in six games and its second double-digit victory over Phoenix in 10 days.
"They were a physical team, and we didn't match their physicality," Suns coach Jay Triano said. "For us to compete with a team like this we've got to have everybody play well and it didn't happen."
https://twitter.com/FOXSPORTSAZ/status/956352962191699968
Josh Jackson scored 20 points and Greg Monroe had 16 points and a season-high 17 rebounds for the Suns, who have lost two straight and five of six.
The Suns started the second half with three turnovers and five missed shots before making their first basket -- Jackson's 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 79-49 with 7:24 left in the third. Phoenix only managed to make the score more respectable by finishing the game on a 16-4 run.
HE SAID IT
"This was an embarrassing game," Booker said. "I'm not sure how many transition points they had, I'm sure it was a lot. A lot more than we had."
https://twitter.com/FOXSPORTSAZ/status/956342044733026304
TIP-INS
Phoenix was 9 of 35 on 3-pointers but still extended the league's longest active streak of consecutive games with a 3 to 1,106. Dallas holds the NBA record at 1,108. ... Devin Booker and Troy Daniels each scored 19 points.
UP NEXT
Suns play their first home game in 12 days when the Knicks visit Friday.
Next game:
Book vs. the Unicorn
Suns vs. Knicks
Phoenix's 1st home game in 12 days
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— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) January 25, 2018
