INDIANAPOLIS – The sputtering Indiana Pacers welcome the new-look Suns to Indianapolis tonight, as Phoenix concludes its five-game Eastern Conference road swing with a renewed outlook on the season.
The Suns suffered their first defeat of the road trip on Thursday, 116-107 to Atlanta. The loss — just the third over Phoenix’s last 12 games — took a backseat to the franchise’s roster movement ahead of the trade deadline.
Phoenix sent Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, along with future draft picks, to Brooklyn in exchange for 10-time All-NBA honoree and former Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant. Jae Crowder, whom the Suns also traded in the package, was moved to Milwaukee shortly thereafter.
“It was an emotional day,” Suns coach Monty Williams said before Thursday’s game. “(Bridges and Johnson) are near and dear to my heart. They’re literally like my family. …They understand the business side of it, but they also understand that there’s a human side, an emotional side, a connection that is greater than the business side.”
The shakeup left Phoenix short-handed at Atlanta and bringing a much different roster than the squad that beat Indiana 112-107 in Phoenix on Jan. 21. Durant is unlikely to play Friday.