Raptors reel in Pacers during fourth quarter
toronto» DeMar DeRozan finally turned in the all-star effort Toronto has been waiting for in the playoffs.
DeRozan’s big game, and an even bigger Raptors comeback, put Toronto on the brink of a secondround berth.
DeRozan scored 34 points and the Raptors held on for a 102-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers and a 3-2 lead in their first-round series Tuesday night when Solomon Hill’s 3-pointer was ruled after the buzzer.
“I just felt like my normal self,” said DeRozan, who came in shooting 29.6 percent (21-for-71) over the first four games of the series but connected on 10of-22 in this one.
“It’s all about patience,” DeRozan said. “You can’t get flustered. You can’t get frustrated. You’ve got to stay the course. That’s what we’re going to continue to do.”
The Raptors overcame 39 points from Paul George and a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter, getting 14 points from Kyle Lowry.
Bismack Biyombo had 10 points and 16 rebounds for the second-seeded Raptors, who can clinch the first seven-game playoff series victory in franchise history by beating the Pacers at Indiana on Friday night.
“If we don’t come in (Friday) with the mentality like we had in the fourth quarter, it’s going to be a long game,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said.
George Hill had 15 points and Myles Turner 14 for the Pacers, who led by as many as 17 and never trailed through the first three quarters before coming unglued in the fourth.
Hawks 110, Celtics 83
B atlanta» Kent Bazemore sparked a stunning turnaround with three consecutive 3-pointers in the second quarter, and Atlanta reclaimed the upper hand in their playoff series against Boston with a rout.
The Hawks are up 3-2 in the series and positioned to close it out Thursday in Boston. If Game 7 is needed, it would be Saturday in Atlanta.
Led by Bazemore, Atlanta ripped off a 28-8 run to take control before halftime.