- SIMBA FRENCH Guardian Sports Reporter simba@nasguard.com
- Jan 5, 2024 Updated 2 hrs ago
- 0
Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield.
Eric Gordon.
Bahamians had a busy Wednesday around the National Basketball Association (NB) as all three players with Bahamian roots were set to play for their respective teams. At the end of the night, only the Indiana Pacers’ Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield and Phoenix Suns’ Eric Gordon suited up as the Portland Trail Blazers’ DeAndre Ayton missed his fourth consecutive game with an injury.
Hield and the Pacers got their fourth win of the season over their divisional rival, the Milwaukee Bucks, winning 142-130 at home at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Gordon and the Suns fell 131-122 at home at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Ayton is battling a knee injury and missed his team’s 126-97 loss to the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.https://f52e55e32a247243d7bc4e3034f934ce.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html
It was the fifth time that the Pacers played the Bucks this season and the fourth time they came away as victors. They won the first two meetings before the Bucks won the third meeting. The third win came earlier last week with a 122-113 scoreline on New Year’s Day. The win on Wednesday night improved the Pacers to a 19-14 win/loss record, giving them a fifth consecutive win while the Bucks dropped to 24-10 on the season. The Pacers occupy the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference of the NBA. The Bucks are second.
The Pacers took the game into their hands in the third quarter when they dropped 47 points on the Bucks that moved the scoreboard from a 68-66 Bucks lead at the half to a 113-97 Pacers lead heading into the fourth quarter. Hield scored four points for the Pacers in that quarter.
The Bucks outscored the Pacers in the fourth quarter, 33-29, but it was not enough for them to get a win.
The Paces return to action tonight in another Eastern Conference matchup when they take on the Atlanta Hawks (14-19) at home. It will be their second game in a five-game homestand. The game starts at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. They will then host the NBA-leading Boston Celtics in two games on Saturday and Monday.
Gordon and the Suns had their four-game win streaking come to an end as they lost at home. They now sport an 18-16 record and are ninth in the Western Conference of the NBA. The Clippers have a 21-12 record and are fourth. Gordon was brilliant in the loss, coming away with 16 points in 28 minutes as a reserve. He finished the game making 5-for-11 shots from the field including three shots from deep. The guard also pulled down five boards in the loss.https://f52e55e32a247243d7bc4e3034f934ce.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html
The Suns got off to a slow start, going down 35-20 at the end of the first quarter. The Clippers then went up 70-51 at the half. It was a lot of ground for the Suns to cover as the second half commenced.
The second half was tidier by the Suns, but the Clippers kept the intensity up as they got the win.
Gordon returned to the bench after guard Bradley Beal returned from injury.
The Suns also return to action today when they host the Miami Heat (20-14) at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
Ayton will try and give it a go today when the Blazers (9-24) play the Mavericks (20-15) on the road again at 8.30 p.m.
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