INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers will look to keep their strong week going as they host the Phoenix Suns on Friday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.The Pacers (6-6) have won consecutive games for the first time this season, defeating the Orlando Magic on Monday and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. Despite the .500 overall record, the Pacers are 6-1 on their home court.Were slowly building day by day, said Pacers center Myles Turner. Weve got to keep the ball rolling.Coach Nate McMillan is seeing the improvement on the defensive end.Weve gone back to focusing on the basics, McMillan said. We were switching a lot, but that was making us too soft. Weve gone back to working hard and just playing traditional defense.Turner added: To be the team we want to be, and to go where we want to go, weve got to be a good defensive team.The Pacers and Suns have both been much better on the offensive end compared to the defensive end overall this year. It could make for a high-scoring game.Theyve got some good guards, said Pacers point guard Jeff Teague. We have to make sure we match their intensity.Those guards include Devin Booker (20.5 points per game), Eric Bledsoe (17.5), and Brandon Knight (12.8).The Suns (3-9) have lost three straight games. Theyre averaging 108 points per game, good enough for fifth in the NBA. However, theyre also fifth-worst in the NBA in defensive efficiency (107 points allowed per 100 possessions).Phoenix has scored over 100 points in every game except the opener, but still has nine losses to show for it. That will happen when you give up the most points per game in the NBA as the Suns have so far this season.Theyve given up 120 points or more in three consecutive games for the first time since 1988.Were 3-9, Suns guard Brandon Knight told ESPN.com. Our goal was to be a playoff team, so we have a lot of major issues.Knight scored a season-high 32 points in the losing effort against Denver on Wednesday. Hes been getting more accustomed to his role off the Suns bench.Its not an easy transition, Knight said of being a sixth man. Just trying to figure out a routine. Thats the biggest thing. Youve had a routine over the past five, six years. Just trying to figure out how to be successful within the time youre playing and how to pace yourself because you can play long spurts as a bench guy.Both teams are in the midst of a critical early season stretch. The Pacers have been playing a lot of home games lately, and that will continue with four of their next five games in Indianapolis. The next six games for the Suns will be against the Pacers, Sixers, Wizards, Magic, Timberwolves, and Magic. Those teams have a combined 22-44 record, and the Suns will need to take advantage.For the first time in several weeks, Rodney Stuckey is listed as questionable for the Pacers. He will be returning soon from a hamstring injury.The Pacers won both games against the Suns last season, but Phoenix has won eight of their previous 11 trips to Indiana. Paul Postma Jersey . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. Cheap Boston Bruins Jerseys . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year. http://www.bruinsauthority.com/authentic-brad-marchand-bruins-jersey/ . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. Danton Heinen Jersey . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. Charlie McAvoy Jersey .S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey. The Detroit Tigers are keeping manager Brad Ausmus, having exercised their option on his contract for 2017.Ausmus, 47, is staying for a fourth season despite the team missing the postseason for the second straight year. Detroit (86-75) finished eight games back in the American League Central and 2? games back of an AL wild-card slot. The Tigers were eliminated from the wild-card race on the last day of the regular season.There was speculation that Tigers general manager Al Avila would dismiss Ausmus, as there was last year, when Detroit finished in last place and saw its first losing season since 2008. In 2015, Avila cited injuries as a big part of the teams poor performance, and injuries were an issue again this season.Ausmus replaced Jim Leylland as manager in November 2013, with the Tigers having won the AL Central three years in a row and having reached the AL Championship Series all three years.dddddddddddd.The Tigers continued their reign in the AL Central in Ausmus first season but were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Division Series.Overall, the Tigers are 250-234 under Ausmus.This is Ausmus first major league managerial position, although he managed Israels team for the World Baseball Classic.He previously played catcher in the majors from 1993 to 2010.Information from ESPNs Katie Strange and The Associated Press was used in this report. 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