Raptors beat Pacers to clinch No. 1 in East
Toronto also sets record for franchise wins with 92-73 triumph over Indiana
TORONTO — The celebratory Atlantic Division T-shirts were draped neatly over each player’s chair in the post-game lockerroom.
The Toronto Raptors barely glanced at them.
On an historic night they clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, won the division title, and set a franchise record for regular-season wins, there was no celebrating. The Raptors were only looking forward. “Journey’s not over. Next question,” Kyle Lowry put it bluntly, on their regular-season accomplishments.
Serge Ibaka scored a season-high 25 points to lift the Raptors to a 92-73 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday — Toronto’s 57th win of the season and 33rd at the Air Canada Centre, both topping the previous franchise highs set in the 2015-16 season.
The Raptors (57-22) have three games left in the regular season before they embark on their fifth consecutive post-season, and coach Dwane Casey said now is not the time for reflection.
“It’s gratification, but you’re not satisfied, that’s the way I like to put it,” Casey said. “We haven’t got to where our ultimate goal is.”
DeMar DeRozan added 12 points, while Jakob Poeltl finished with 10, and Lowry doled out nine assists.
Glenn Robinson had 12 points, Trevor Booker finished 11 points, and Canadian and former Raptors guard Cory Joseph scored six off the bench for the Pacers (47-33).
Playing in their Drake-inspired black and gold OVO jerseys, the Raptors led from the opening tipoff and, other than a secondquarter blip when they allowed the Pacers to pull within four points, they dominated for most of the night in front of a capacity crowd that included Drake.
They pulled away in the third quarter thanks largely to Ibaka, who shot a perfect 5-for-5 — including a pair of three-pointers — that put the Raptors ahead by 27 points. They took a 72-49 lead into the fourth.
The sizable lead allowed Casey to go to his bench for the final frame, giving the starters some much-appreciated rest before the playoffs begin on April 14.
As the clock ticked down the final seconds, the ACC crowd stood and applauded the Raptors’ regular-season record.
DeRozan said achieving the No. 1 seed shows “that once you put your mind toward something, work toward a goal, it can be accomplished.
“We did that. Now, we’ve got another goal that we want to reach as well,” DeRozan said. “So this gives us the confidence that we can do it and take it to another level.”
The Raptors’ magic number on the night was one — either a Toronto win or Boston loss Friday clinched them the No. 1 seed.