Raptors get their revenge on Pacers
DeRozan scores 26 as Toronto improves to 14-7
It wasn’t the third quarter win everyone probably wanted, but it wasn’t the massive giveback either for the Toronto Raptors Friday at the ACC.
And because of that, the Raptors got a little payback to the tune of 120-115 against an Indiana Pacers team that had beaten them at home last week, improving to 14-7 in the process.
Still, you have to be impressed with this Pacers’ squad, a team that lost its franchise player in Paul George and has managed to put together a nice group to offset his loss.
They came into Toronto with 12 wins on the strength of what is shaping up to be a career- altering year for Victor Oladipo and a solid cast around him of players who just don’t quit.
The Raptors will attest to that after two games in a week in which the Pacers gave the more veteran and more battle- tested Raptors everything they could handle.
Key to this night was a much better third quarter in which the Raptors came out aggressive and stayed that way despite giving back two of their seven-point lead heading into what has been the troublesome quarter this season. In Indy when the Raptors lost by three a week ago, the team turned the ball over 20 times leading to 30 points. On their home court Friday, the Raptors had just nine turnovers leading to 13 points for the Pacers in the third.
And the Raptors probably deserved a better fate in the third if Oladipo had not been on one of those hot streaks that shooters just die for. Through three quarters he was good on 14-of-18 shots for 31 points with another 12 minutes to play. Oladipo would eventually cool off but he had 11 in that third and missed just once.
The difference in t he energy level was apparent from the very beginning as the Raptors were moving on both ends of the court to start the third, a stark contrast to their less memorable third quarters of recent vintage when they seemed to be running in mud at times.
For the second time in a week Jakob Poeltl, the young centre of Austrian descent hit another career high in points, this time with 18 coming off the Raptors bench. Only starter DeMar DeRozan had more points with 26.
DeRozan chipped in with another five assists and five rebounds while backcourt mate Kyle Lowry once again flirted with a triple- double finishing this one with 11 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Oladipo was in top form shooting on this night finishing the game with 36 points, hitting on 14-of-22.
The Raptors didn’t get the usual three-point boost from C. J. Miles as Miles struggled going just 2- for-7 from distance in this one before taking an early (for him) seat.
The Raptors now have a nice little break before Tuesday’s game with Phoenix at the ACC.