Suns at Pacers final score: Phoenix outlasts Indiana 102-94

I think Goran Dragic was a bit perturbed about being left off of the Western Conference All-Star team.

On the night that the All-Star reserves were announced, the Phoenix Suns point guard exploded for a game-high 28 points and added 7 assists in leading his team to a decisive, 102-94 win over the highly-touted Indiana Pacers. Phoenix was able to hop all over the Pacers with a 36-19 advantage in the opening quarter, and while it wasn’t exactly smooth-sailing from that point forward, they were able to hold on based on the strength of an edge in the 4th quarter.

In addition to Dragic’s excellence, the Suns received a big-time effort from the Morris twins off the bench. Marcus scored 16 points (on 7-for-12 shooting) and added 6 rebounds in just 21 minutes, and his brother Markieff chipped in with 15 points in just 24 minutes of his own. As a team, Phoenix was able to defend at a high level as well, and they held the Pacers (in their home building, no less) to just 1-for-15 from beyond the 3-point arc.

As you may expect, Indiana did have some quality performances, and All-Star reserve Roy Hibbert was in the middle of it. The 7-foot-2 monster led the Pacers in scoring with 26 points, and he was flanked by a triple-double from “snub” Lance Stephenson (14 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) and a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double from All-Star starter Paul George.

The Suns have spent the first 45 games of the season trying to make a name for themselves, but with one win over the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, they may have succeeded.