INDIANAPOLIS — After getting their doors, windows, transmission and back seats blown off in Milwaukee on Sunday night. The Indiana Pacers bounced back to beat the defending NBA champs in overtime 120-115 on the second night of a back to back. They match their season high making 18 3-points field goals. Crazy!!
As a matter of fact, Toronto had erased a 30-point deficit to beat Dallas on Sunday and was looking to come from behind again to beat Indiana. After trailing for more than three quarters the Raptors didn’t lead until there was literally .2 seconds remaining in the third quarter when they took a 79-78 lead to start the fourth.
Indiana showed crazy resiliency down the stretch to get out of this one alive. Both Myles Turner and TJ Warren led Indiana with 24 points each as Aaron Holiday got loose with 19. Domantas Sabonis dropped his 25th double-double of the season with 12 points and 17 rebounds. Jeremy Lamb and T.J. McConnell each had 12 points.
The Pacer ball movement was NUTS as they finished with 34 assists.
Kyle Lowry brought his hard hat though as he led the Raptors with 30 points. However, it wasn’t enough to hold the aggressive Pacers off down the stretch.
Indiana jumped out of the ride on 10-5 run fueled by two Jeremy Lamb three-pointers within the first four minutes. After scrapping for loose balls and knocking down jumpers the Pacers went up 19-9 with 5:16 to play in the first quarter.
All of sudden Myles Turner got loose shooting the three-ball on a boy with two in row as the Pacers went up 27-13 showing no mercy. Indiana was red hot finishing the first quarter up 30-19 shooting 50 percent from the field and 58 percent from behind the arc. They had 10 or their 34 assists in the first period. That’s NUTS!!!
Toronto opened the second quarter on a 6-1 run to pull within 6 of the Pacers with 8:28 left in the half. However, Indiana had more in the tank as they kept being the aggressor going up 40-29 with everybody and their Uncle LeRoy shooting the rock. Doug McDermott had 5 of this 8 points off of the bench with 6:30 left before the break.
What seemed to become a rout turned into a ball game down the stretch of the first half as Toronto closed the gap to get within 10 points with less than a minute to go. At the break the Pacers were up 54-44. They had 18 assists at the break.
Indiana came out of the break shooting that thang with Myles Turner and Aaron Holiday hitting three-pointers to kick the wheels in motion for the Pacers. Toronto didn’t let them run away however, at the 7:32 mark of the third quarter it was a 5 point game with Indiana up 66-61.
The Raptors pulled to within 3 on two Fred Van Fleet free throws to make it 66-63 7:08 left in the third. We suddenly had a ball game on our hands. I got my popcorn ready like my man T.O. says.
Kyle Lowry started to heat up down the stretch of the third quarter as he knocked down a layup to put the Raptors up 79-78 with .2 seconds left in the quarter. It was their first lead of the night. Again, all of a sudden we had a ball game.
The fourth quarter was a battle royale. Boyz on both ends of the floor were were shooting the lights out of the gym. At the 8:26 mark Toronto was up 90-87 over the Pacers.
Lowry put them on his back down the stretch as the Raptors extended their lead to 98-93 with just over 4 minutes to play.
TJ Warren knotted it up at 99 with 2:43 left but Van Fleet drilled a three-pointer on the next possession to put the Raptors back up 102-99.
The next thing we knew we were into overtime. Indiana showed all the resilience in the world as they kept playing together to get the “W.” Great ball game and this Pacers team continues to prove to boyz that they’ve got weapons all over the floor. Up next Miami on Friday on the road.
