FIVE GAME 5 MOMENTS
Twists and turning points SIXTH MAN IN
It was announced about 30 minutes before tipoff that Patrick Patterson would start ahead of Luis Scola. While it was Patterson’s first start since Feb. 27, 2014, the six-year vet has been more active this season, averaging 25.6 minutes per game to Scola’s 13.8. The move fell flat. He played 26 minutes and sat out the fourth quarter, finishing with seven points and two rebounds. “Pat was a minus-20,” coach Dwane Casey said. “I love him to death, but . . . I thought it would give us some speed and quickness to start the game. We have to evaluate that.”
BREAKING BAD
In the opening quarter, Kyle Lowry (0-for-2) and DeMar DeRozan (1-for-3) were slow out of the gate again, while Paul George came out looking for the kill. The Pacers’ star poured in 12 first-quarter points and set the tone for his team on the offensive side of the floor. They quickly followed suit. The Pacers rained down seven threes in the opening frame, one of them aided by a goaltending call on Terrence Ross, to make it a 35-18 game. Raptors fans booed their team into the timeout that Casey called.
SECOND COMING
DeRozan was undeterred by his slow start (to this game and the series) and came out aggressive against the Pacers’ bench to start the second quarter. He hit his first two shots, then got the crowd back on his side with a right-handed dunk down the lane. He quickly climbed to 14 points and the Raptors got within three, all in the first three minutes of play. The bad news: George checked back into the game, acting like a teacher returning to a rowdy classroom, and ended the Raptors’ 13-1 run with a three that sparked a 10-0 run by the Pacers.
BATTLING GEORGE
Guarding George is the toughest assignment on the floor. He had 22 points at the half and it was clear that this would be a big night for him. It fell on DeMarre Carroll to simply make those baskets tough to come by. The Raptors forward did that, for the most part, but picking up his second, third and fourth fouls in the third quarter felt like a death blow. George made two free throws to hit 35 points as Carroll took a seat with 4:09 left in the quarter. Rookie Norman Powell picked up the toughest assignment on the court and George only scored four points the rest of the way.
RUNNING WILD
With Carroll on the bench, Lowry misfiring (2-for-7 through three quarters) and George sitting for Indiana, the Raptors reeled off a 23-2 run. The stretch was highlighted by a Terrence Ross three to cut the Indy lead to two, then a Powell steal and dunk to tie the game. DeRozan’s second three of the night gave the Raptors their first lead, with 4:15 left. Up 100-99 with 13.9 to go, DeRozan made two clutch free throws. Solomon Hill’s three to tie the game came just after the buzzer, giving the Raptors a chance to close the series out in Indianapolis on Friday.