Suns Send Bulls To Another Defeat

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Published on November 20 2017 6:21 am
Last Updated on November 20 2017 6:21 am

By ESPN

The Phoenix Suns -- the starters and the guys off the bench -- piled up the assists against Chicago and sent the Bulls to another loss.

T.J. Warren scored 27 points to lead six Phoenix players in double figures and the Suns handed the Bulls their sixth loss in seven games, 113-105 on Sunday night.

Rookie Lauri Markkanen, the former University of Arizona standout, scored a career-best 26 points for the Bulls in a matchup of the NBA's youngest teams.

The Suns had a season-high 32 assists on 45 baskets. Their season best had been 28 in each of the previous two games.

"We're moving from side to side and everybody's touching the ball," Warren said. "Everybody's getting the ball."

Devin Booker and Mike James added 15 points apiece for Phoenix. Eight of James' points came in the final 10 minutes.

James, who is coming off the bench after starting most of the young season, said the team's chemistry is getting better.

"I think it's really high," he said. "It shows in our assists and how we're sharing the ball, and how we're playing defense, how we're helping each other."

Troy Daniels added 14 for the Suns, including four of seven 3s. Centers Greg Monroe and Alex Len had 10 apiece.

Phoenix interim coach Jay Triano stuck with bench players, including James at point guard, down the stretch. Reserves scored 24 consecutive points for the Suns in an 8:24 stretch in the third and fourth quarter.

"I think we're getting better, we're getting more familiar with each other," he said, "and I think our guys are understanding that it could be a variety of players in there. ... I think everybody is starting to figure out where they're supposed to be, therefore we're passing the ball a whole lot better."

Kris Dunn scored 17 points and Robin Lopez 16 for the Bulls. They were coming off a Friday night victory over Charlotte that snapped a five-game losing streak.

Markkanen made 10 of 18 shots, 4 of 9 from 3-point range, and grabbed 13 rebounds.

"I thought Lauri was phenomenal," Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg said. "But when he is open, we got to get him the ball. When he has got it rolling like he did tonight, guys were switching and we had him a couple of times with the point guard buried in his back and we didn't get him the ball."

The Suns scored the first seven of the second quarter to tie it at 37 and neither team led by more than six the rest of the half. Warren's basket capped a 10-0 run that gave Phoenix a 54-48 lead with 2:42 left in the half and the Suns led 61-56 at the break.

Chicago outscored Phoenix 16-5 over a five-minute span to take an 84-79 lead with 2:17 left in the third. But the Bulls didn't score again in the quarter while Daniels and Josh Jackson each sank 3-pointers to put the Suns up 85-84 entering the fourth.

Phoenix took the lead for good 87-85 on Len's dunk. James scored six and Warren the final four in a decisive 15-5 surge that put the Suns up 106-95 with 3:37 to go.

Chicago cut it to 108-103 on Markkanen's fourth 3 with 1:37 to play and got the ball back. But Dunn threw it away and the Suns held on for the win.

"It was a two-possession game with a minute 20 left and we throw a behind the back pass. That can't happen with two guys open, two of our better shooters and we throw it out of bounds," Hoiberg said. "Then next possession down we throw the ball away. We had two key turnovers late that just can't happen if you want to win a game on the road."


Pacers 120, Heat 95

Myles Turner made almost every shot he took in Indiana's biggest win of the season, and even got a chance for a brief postgame chat with actor Matthew McConaughey.

Everything went great for the Pacers.

Everything went wrong for the Miami Heat.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 26 points, Turner added 25 on 11 of 14 shooting and the Pacers embarrassed the Heat in the second half on the way to a 120-95 rout Sunday night.

"We moved the ball and guys were knocking down shots," Pacers coach Nate McMillan said.

He made it sound so easy. What awaits the Heat at practice Monday is going to be very difficult.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had no answers and would have probably preferred no questions after the game, making it very clear that what went on Sunday -- and has gone on from time to time this season -- is going to end.

"One way or another, we're going to get down to the bottom of it," Spoelstra said. "I need to look at the film, assess and find some solutions. I don't have answers right now for why we give up 120 points and have an uninspiring play. ... We'll find a solution. We'll find a way to play Miami Heat basketball, one way or another."

Heat players offered similar sentiment.

"It sucks," center Hassan Whiteside said.

"Terrible game, from the first minute to the last," point guard Goran Dragic said.

"Embarrassing performance by us," said shooting guard Wayne Ellington, who led Miami with 21 points on seven 3-pointers.

Turner made 11 of 14 shots for the Pacers, who won their third straight game overall and got their first win in Miami since Nov. 12, 2014. Each of the last 11 regular-season games in the series were won by the home team, until the Pacers emphatically changed that in this one.

"I definitely haven't won here before," said Turner, who played in four previous games in Miami -- all losses. "Maybe it's the weather."

Victor Oladipo scored 15, Darren Collison had 12 points and 10 assists and Thaddeus Young added 12 for Indiana. The Pacers outscored Miami 69-40 in the game's final 25 minutes and shot 60 percent for the game.

"We needed to come out and have a great start at the beginning of the second half," Oladipo said. "We did a good job of that."

Whiteside and Josh Richardson each scored 15 and James Johnson added 10 for the Heat.

Dion Waiters was scoreless for Miami, missing all 10 of his shots. Miami's starters were outscored by Indiana's 90-44 -- a huge disappointment on the heels of a road win in Washington two nights earlier.

"Look, I don't have an answer to our unreliability right now," Spoelstra said.


Sunday, November 19 Scoreboard

Toronto 100, Washington 91

Indiana 120, Miami 95

Golden State 118, Brooklyn 111

Detroit 100, Minnesota 97

Phoenix 113, Chicago 105

Los Angeles Lakers 127, Denver 109


Monday, November 20 Schedule (All Times Central)

Minnesota at  Charlotte, 6 p.m.

Cleveland at Detroit, 6 p.m.

Indiana at Orlando, 6 p.m.

Utah at Philadelphia, 6 p.m.

Los Angeles Clippers at New York, 6:30 p.m.

Portland at Memphis, 7 p.m.

Washington at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.

Oklahoma City at New Orleans, 7 p.m.

Boston at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

Atlanta at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m.

Denver at Sacramento, 9 p.m.