Being on a five-game road trip was bound to have its downfalls for the Phoenix Suns. And yet on the back end of that road trip against the Indiana Pacers, the Suns have continued to be impressive.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Given the magnitude of also trading for Kevin Durant, the Suns are without a few players on Friday. As such, the Suns weren’t expected to come out of the contest with a victory after the embarrassing loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.
The Suns improved to 4-1 on their road trip, beating the Pacers 117-104.
Chris Paul Shows Out
With Durant en route to Phoenix, Paul is wasting no time making sure his game is up to par. The Suns are thin on guard depth with Landry Shamet along with Cameron Payne still dealing with injuries.
Paul turned in another vintage performance, racking up 19 points to go along with nine assists and two steals for the contest.
The 37-year-old guard has been impressive scoring-wise compared to his more recent outings. Coming into Friday, Paul was averaging only 10.3 points while shooting 31 percent from the field.
His assist numbers were up to his standards, as he averaged 10.5 during that timespan. Of course with Durant on the floor, Paul’s offensive load will decline to his pleasing.
Josh Okogie has Starter-Like Outing
It’s unclear what the Suns starting unit will look like following the Durant trade. With Phoenix sending out two of its starters, there will be a bit of mystery as to how head coach Monty Williams proceeds with the fifth man.
Okogie may have attempted to make his case on Friday. The 6-foot-4 forward went off for 17 points and six rebounds during the contest.
Okogie has been extremely important off the bench for the Suns this season. At times, he’s seen himself inserted into the starting unit. It’s unlikely that Williams will make Okogie a permanent starter, but his ability to fill that role has been impressive.
The Suns will now return home, where they’ll face the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers before the All-Star break.
