Suns Forced to Change Starting Lineup vs Pacers

The Phoenix Suns are changing their starting lineup tonight against the Indiana Pacers.

With Mark Williams and Jalen Green marked out earlier on the injury report, Phoenix pivots to the following first five:

• Devin Booker
• Grayson Allen
• Dillon Brooks
• Royce O'Neale
• Nick Richards

The Suns (7-5) are on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in a tough road contest on Wednesday.

For the Pacers (1-10), they're down all of Bennedict Mathurin (right great toe sprain), Obi Toppin (right foot stress fracture), Quenton Jackson (right hamstring strain), Johnny Furphy (left ankle sprain) and Kam Jones (lower back stress reaction) on top of Tyrese Haliburton.

Booker is fresh off a 26 point/9 assist performance in Dallas, which surprisingly is his highest scoring total in the last four games.

Allen followed up his record-breaking performance earlier this week with another with 23 points and a pair of clutch free throws in the final minutes of the win in Dallas.

Brooks has scored at least 15 points in all six of his games played thus far. He's shooting 42% from the field in November.

O'Neale has been on a tear from behind the three-point line, as he's shooting a career-best 45% from downtown. He's scored 10+ points in his last eight of nine matchups.

Suns coach Jordan Ott spoke with reporters ahead of tonight and said without Williams, it will be a group effort.

"We're gonna need everyone. I think that's gonna be my message to the group is we have a plan, obviously, but when you get into these games - second half of a back to back against a really good team that's hungry, we don't know where our juice is going to come from," said Ott.

"It may come from the 13th man. It may come from the ninth man. You don't know. We're going to need everyone tonight."

Indiana coach Rick Carlisle offered:

“It’s become a play hard league, really the last few years. They're doing a lot of good things. Jordan's (Ott) doing a great job with the team. They're very good metrically and in some areas, defensively and offensively, and it really shows, especially over the last seven games, like they’re six and one in their last seven games.

"It’s a creative situation for them without a real kind of true point guard starting in the starting lineup. We know (Devin) Booker can play point. I've seen him handle the ball for years and he's a great player and he can do that, but they're doing it systemically, based on the strengths that they have, which is very smart.”

Opening tip is slated for just past 7:00 PM MST at Mortgage Matchup Center.

Latest Phoenix Suns News