FIVE GAME 3 MOMENTS
Twists and turning points
WELCOME BACK, DEROZAN
With a combined 24 points in the first two games (he averaged 23.5 this year), DeRozan finally got his game back Thursday. He hit his first three shots, had 12 of the Raptors’ 24 first-quarter points, went 5-11 in the half and made 6-8 free throws. DeRozan didn’t play at that pace the rest of the way, finishing with 21 points, but the Raptors didn’t need more than what he gave. DeRozan’s play in Game 3 should inch him back toward his regular-season form, with the Raptors now two wins away from advancing to the second round.
MAKING GEORGE’S LIFE HARD
Paul George started just as strong as DeRozan in the first five minutes, but his night took a different turn quickly after. With DeMarre Carroll logging a playoff-high 35:10, he was able to show why he was brought in as a free-agent last summer. Carroll and the Raptors made shots very difficult for George and forced him into a 3-8 first quarter. The Pacers’ top scorer got selective with his shots from that point and he finished 6-19 for 25 points. With George held in check most of the night, Indiana fell behind for good in the second quarter. Carroll also had his best offensive game since Jan. 1, with 17 points and five rebounds.
PACERS UNRAVEL
As the Raptors began to put their best all-around effort of the series together in the first half, the Pacers’ frustration became increasingly obvious. Paul George’s hot start cooled and he picked up a technical foul arguing with refs late in the first quarter. Pacers guard Rodney Stuckey was whistled in the second quarter after he kicked Patrick Patterson when the two became tangled on the perimeter. Somewhere in all of that, a fan threw a mini-basketball on the court and hit Dwane Casey in the head. The Pacers had 12 turnovers with the Raptors turning it into 17 firsthalf points.
ANOTHER BIG NIGHT
With DeRozan and Lowry scoring closer to their normal pace, Jonas Valanciunas wasn’t needed to carry the offensive load for the Raptors. That didn’t lessen his impact in Game 3. The seven-footer was active on the glass, cracking double-digits for the third consecutive game. He added nine points and one blocked shot. Bismack Biyombo spelled Valanciunas off when he picked up a second foul in the first quarter and finished with six points, eight rebounds and two blocks. The Pacers had absolutely no answer for the Raptors’ big men in Game 3.
DAGGERS IN THE FOURTH
Lowry’s 21 points (12 coming in the fourth) didn’t jump out of the box score, but he was very effective in Game 3. He dished eight assists and his first three-pointer of the fourth quarter was the first official sign that the Raptors wouldn’t let their lead slip away. Cory Joseph facilitated the next dagger, driving to the bucket and kicking out of a triple-team to Patrick Patterson in the corner for another three, with under nine minutes to play. That put the Raptors up 81-63. Carroll struck from deep ahead of the four-minute mark to keep the Raptors’ lead at 18.