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. Clearance Running Shoes Canada . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Wholesale Running Shoes Canada . - The Washington Redskins have cut defensive lineman Adam Carriker and punter Sav Rocca. http://www.clearancerunningshoescanada.com/ . Westbrook has missed 27 games since having a procedure on Dec. 27 to deal with swelling in his injured right knee — the third operation on the knee in nine months. Running Shoes Canada Outlet .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Discount Running Shoes Canada . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers. STORRS, Conn. -- UCF visits UConn on Saturday for what may or may not be an annual rivalry game.UConn coach Bob Diaco received plenty of ridicule when he created a trophy for the series last year after the Huskies upset the Knights in 2014, handing UCF its only conference loss.UConn won again in Florida, routing UCF 40-13, and celebrated on the field with the trophy, winning what Diaco initially called the Civil Conflict and later revised to the ConnFLiCT (note the capital FL and CT). The Huskies (3-4, 1/3 American) have won two of the three games between the programs.It adds a little bit of excitement to the practice week itself, said UConn tight end Alec Bloom. Its different playing for a trophy in the regular season than it would be any other time. So, I think it adds a little bit of excitement, gets everyone a little more excited to play.But Diaco has been downplaying his creation this week, saying he planned to keep the discussion of the matchup internal.UCF (3-3, 1-1), meanwhile, simply does not consider this game to be special.Before I came here I was not aware of whatever they are calling the game, said first-year UCF coach Scott Frost. Listen, this is another game to us. Every single one of them is important. Were going to prepare for this one like we prepare for every one.Here some things to watch for as the Knights and the Huskies play the ConnFLiCT game:---BOUNCE BACK: Both teams are coming off conferences losses. UConn is looking to bounce back from a 42-27 defeat at South Florida. UCF, meanwhile, blew a 25-7 lead and lost in the final second at home to Temple, 26-25. Character doesnt show up when things are going right, but in times like this, Frost said.SLOW START: Diaco said UConn has changed some things in pracctice and team meetings in an effort to address its slow starts.dddddddddddd The Huskies have scored just three points in the first quarter of games, a field goal during their opening drive last week. Diaco said part of the problem may be the emphasis coaches put on finishing games this year. We built the drills that way. We built the mentality that way, he said. And now weve come to a situation where you put your fingers and toes in the dam over here and then all of the sudden another little spurt starts squirting out on the other side.RUN AND RUN STOPPING: UCF comes into the game ranked No. 33 in the country in rushing, averaging almost 208 yards a game. The Huskies have the nations No. 26 run defense, giving up just 130 yards per contest.WEATHER OR NOT: UCF spent time this week discussing how to play in cold weather. The temperature in Connecticut on Saturday is expected to be in the low 50s with a good chance of rain. Frost said he considers that perfect football weather, but noted that in Florida there is a different perspective. There is something to the blood thinning out down here, he said.SIDELINED: Both teams lost their starting left guards (UConns Tommy Hopkins and UCFs Tyler Hudanick) for the season last week with leg injuries. The teams also have suspended players for this weeks game. No reason was given for the suspension of UCF receiver Tristan Payton. Two UConn redshirt freshmen, defensive linemen Felton Blackwell and linebacker Nazir Williams, were arrested this week after police found marijuana, alcohol and BB guns in a car they were in. Neither had played a snap for the Huskies. ' ' '