The Indiana Pacers are aiming to strengthen their grip on a top-six playoff spot when they face off against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night.
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The Indiana Pacers are aiming to strengthen their grip on a top-six playoff spot when they face off against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. The Pacers, currently sitting at a record of 45-34, hold the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference after pulling off a tight 117-115 win against the Miami Heat at home on Sunday.
The Raptors (25-53) are wrapping up their home games hoping to notch their second three-game winning streak of the season, which would be their best run since Feb. 22-26. They broke a brutal 15-game losing streak and grabbed their second win in a row, beating the Washington Wizards 130-122 at home on Sunday. So far, Toronto leads the season series against Indiana 2-1, and it’s worth noting that in each game, the visiting team has come out on top.
It’s Pascal Siakam’s second game back in Toronto since he got traded to the Pacers on Jan. 17. In Sunday’s matchup against the Heat, the Pacers started strong, going up by as much as 22 points, but they lost steam in the second half. Miami made a comeback, cutting the lead to just one point in the fourth quarter. Luckily, clutch free throws from Myles Turner and Aaron Nesmith helped the Pacers secure the win.
For the Raptors, Barnes, Boucher, Poeltl, Porter, and Quickley will not be playing the game. Besides, Carton is also questionable. For the Pacers, Mathurin will sit this one out, while Smith is questionable for the game.
Sunday marked the first game since Scottie Barnes got sidelined with a hand injury on March 1 where the Raptors had Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Gary Trent Jr., Kelly Olynyk, and Bruce Brown all ready to play together. And boy, did it make a difference!
Quickley stole the show for the Raptors, dropping 31 points, dishing out 13 assists, and grabbing seven rebounds. Barrett chipped in with 22 points, Olynyk contributed 21, and Trent put up 20.
Toronto dominated from the start, building a massive 29-point lead by the end of the first quarter, with the score sitting at 42-17.
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