“Bridges really killed us tonight,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “With the way he does things off the ball, he finds the nook and crannies, he gets open for 3s in the corners. He was tremendous.”
Phoenix had a 59-54 halftime and then went on an 8-0 run to start the third quarter to take control. The Suns pushed their advantage to 20 points late in the third and took a 92-74 lead into the fourth. The Pacers cut it to 105-99 with 3:59 left but couldn’t get any closer.
“We’re just trying to pile up wins,” Paul said. “We could have been a little more solid down the stretch.”
The short-handed Pacers were coming off impressive back-to-back wins against the Lakers and Warriors but couldn’t keep the momentum going. Chris Duarte and Lance Stephenson both scored 17 points. Goga Bidatze added 16 points and 11 rebounds.
“With the guys we have out, we’ve got to be gritty and tough and resourceful,” Carlisle said. “That was really how we were in the first and fourth quarters. In the second and third we didn’t play well.”
The Suns have been playing some of their basketball of the season, returning to the desert for Saturday’s game after a 5-0 road trip.
Phoenix had a five-point halftime lead after shooting 54.3% in the first half. Paul had 14 points and nine assists, and Bridges added 13 points. Duarte led the Pacers with 11 points.
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