The China Mail - Suns scorch depleted Pacers, Hawks hold off Jazz

Indiana, who fell to Oklahoma City in last season's NBA Finals, continue to struggle with a stream of injuries in addition to the ruptured Achilles tendon suffered by Tyrese Haliburton in the championship series last June.

Haliburton is expected to miss the entire season, and the Pacers were also without injured Obi Toppin, Bennedict Mathurin, Quenton Jackson and Kam Jones as well as ailing Cody Martin.

Indiana have lost six straight since their lone win of the season on November 1. At 1-11 they are tied for worst record in the league with the Washington Wizards.

Thursday's 35-point loss is their most lopsided of the season.

Meanwhile, the Suns notched a fifth-straight win to improve to 8-5, seventh in the Western Conference.

It is an encouraging run for a team that launched a rebuilding phase before the season with trades of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal and the recruitment of first-year coach Jordan Ott.

On Thursday, Booker scored 33 points, Brooks added 32 and the Suns led by as many as 46 points.

Oso Ighodaro came off the bench to add 17 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots.

And there was more bad injury news for the Pacers, who saw Aaron Nesmith depart in the third quarter with an apparent left knee injury after he got a foot tangled with that of a teammate.

He was helped off the court, but Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after the game that the team hoped it was "not very serious."

"At this point, it looks like we may have dodged a bullet in terms of something that is very serious, but he'll miss some time," Carlisle said.

In other games, Jalen Johnson's impressive triple double of 31 points, 18 rebounds and 14 assists -- along with seven steals -- fueled the short-handed Atlanta Hawks in a 132-122 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Onyeka Okongwu delivered 32 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots, draining a career-high eight three-pointers for the Hawks, who withstood a 40-point performance from Utah forward Lauri Markkanen.

Atlanta led by as many as 18 in the first half and by 15 in the third, but the Jazz clawed back. Utah edged in front twice in the fourth quarter before the Hawks pulled away for good.

In Cleveland, the Toronto Raptors surprised the Cavaliers 126-113.

Scottie Barnes scored 28 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and handed out eight assists for the Raptors.

Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points to lead the Cavs, who were in action at home one night after beating the Heat in Miami.

V.Fan--ThChM