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INDIANAPOLIS – The Raptors snapped the Pacers’ three-game winning streak Monday night 130-122 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Pacers fell to 33-26, and their lead over Orlando and Miami for sixth place in the Eastern Conference fell in half. Toronto improved to 22-36.
Here are four observations.
The Raptors dominate the paint.
The Raptors may be in the draft lottery right now, but they are still dangerous due to their length, especially from the 2-5 positions, as well as their tough drivers at the point guard position.
That made it difficult to keep the Raptors out of the paint, and the Pacers tend to have problems with teams that operate that way. Toronto outscored the Pacers 78-50 in the paint and got strong performances from all its wings.
All-Star Scottie Barnes had a triple-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. RJ Barrett scored 24 points, Gary Trent Jr. scored 11 and center Jakob Poetl had 15 and 10 rebounds. The Pacers stayed with the Raptors on the glass, but didn’t overcome the discrepancy in the paint.
The Raptors lead the NBA in fast break points, a category the Pacers possessed not long ago, with 18.7 per game and they scored 26 on Monday night to 11 for the Pacers. That had something to do with the discrepancy, as most of those baskets were layups, but even when the Pacers had a stout defense they had trouble stopping Toronto’s attack.
“It was kind of whatever,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “Transition counts as paint points. Cuts. Drives. And-1, there were a lot of different things. We need to be better. It’s disappointing, but we have to bounce back.”
Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was acquired from the Raptors in January and knows what they do, having seen the Pacers crumble against some of Toronto’s biggest strengths.
“I think they had more energy than us today,” Siakam said. “They played faster. They caught us a lot just on cuts and different things in the paint. We can’t really allow that. We have to be able to stop the first play and have them go to their second and third option. It was a lot of cuts and layups.”
Tyrese Haliburton has a brutal night
The Pacers had outstanding nights from their second and third leading perimeter scorers, but their ace had one of the worst nights of his season.
Two-time All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton couldn’t find the basket at any level, scoring just nine points on 2-of-11 shooting. He was 1 of 6 from 3-point range and even missed two free throws out of six. Part of that was excellent defense, especially by guards Immanuel Quickley and Trent, but Haliburton sometimes missed shots that he normally makes. He finished with seven assists and one turnover, but the Pacers were -15 with him on the court.
“Toronto set out to make it difficult for Tyrese,” Carlisle said. “…He had a bad night, too. I don’t want to give them too much credit. I’ll watch the film. There are certainly some things he could have helped our team with that I didn’t do.” “I have to find out what they are and be better in the next game.”
Haliburton’s rare struggles made it more difficult for the Pacers to function as a whole. They shot 46% from the field and made just 13 of 42 three-pointers. Bennedict Mathurin and Pascal Siakam helped carry them, but outside of those two players they made 24 of 63 field goals (38.1%).
Bennedict Mathurin equals personal record
As the Pacers struggled from the outside, second-year wing Bennedict Mathurin found his range and kept Indiana in it with some key outside shots.
Mathurin scored 34 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. Two of those 3-pointers came at a much-needed time in the third quarter after the Pacers had fallen behind by double digits, and another tied the score at 90 early in the fourth quarter. He also had nine rebounds, five assists and two steals.
“As the game went on and we were fighting, Mathurin’s shooting in the second half, particularly in the third quarter, kept us in the game,” Carlisle said. “We were down by 12 and he just kept us in the game. He was making some hell of shots and really heroic shots.”
Mathurin is shooting 37.8% from 3-point range this season, which is a significant increase from his 32.3% last season. He’s had streaks (he had made just four of his previous 15 3-pointers before Monday night’s game) but overall he’s more confident with the shot, especially when he’s in rhythm.
“I felt confident taking my shot,” Mathurin said. “I know I work really hard, so I saw the first one come in. I took the next one. The next one came in and I kept going.”
Pascal Siakam faces his former team
Pascal Siakam was clearly still motivated in his second matchup against his former team. The former Raptors All-Star carried the Pacers at times in the first half and helped Mathurin keep the Pacers in it.
Siakam finished with 27 points on 11-of-22 shooting, including 3-of-8 from 3-point range. He also recorded nine rebounds and six assists in one of his strongest outings with Indiana.
“He was playing a little fast and kept attacking,” Siakam said. “I was trying to find little mismatches and score in the paint. I think we have to continue to do that as a team and I feel like I can do it. I have to be able to do it, and once they help, it will be about making the right plays. “On the second night in a row, I’m just trying to be as aggressive as I can.”
Pacers vs. Raptors box score
TORONTO (130): Barnes 8-18 5-5 21, Barrett 11-16 0-3 24, Poeltl 7-10 1-1 15, Quickley 8-16 0-0 19, Trent Jr. 5-12 0-0 11, Olynyk 2 -4 2-4 7, B.Brown 1-4 0-0 2, Dick 7-9 0-0 18, Agbaji 4-7 4-4 13. Totals 53-96 12-17 130.
INDIANA (122): Mathurin 11-15 7-9 34, Siakam 11-22 2-2 27, Turner 5-8 4-6 16, Haliburton 2-11 4-6 9, Nembhard 5-14 0-0 11, McDermott 0-2 0-0 0, Toppin 2-8 0-0 4, Walker 0-1 0-0 0, Smith 4-7 0-0 9, McConnell 5-8 0-0 10, Sheppard 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 46-100 17-23 122.
Tor 30 31 29 40 — 130
IND 28 28 31 35 — 122
3-point goals: Toronto 12-28 (Dick 4-4, Quickley 3-7, Barrett 2-3, Agbaji 1-2, Olynyk 1-2, Trent Jr. 1-6, B.Brown 0-1, Barnes 0-3), Indiana 13-42 (Mathurin 5-8, Siakam 3-8, Turner 2-3, Smith 1-2, Nembhard 1-4, Haliburton 1-6, Walker 0-1, McDermott 0-2, Sheppard 0-3, Toppin 0-5). Out due to foul_None. Rebounds_Toronto 45 (Barnes 12), Indiana 43 (Turner 11). Assists_Toronto 35 (Barnes 12), Indiana 27 (Haliburton 7). Total fouls_Toronto 17, Indiana 19. A_16,026 (20,000)
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