The Raptors finally rewarded their loyal fans with a playoff win, as their centre and the bench made huge contributions.
Toronto grabbed an early lead and fended off several Indiana runs before icing the game with a Q4 burst.
First Half
The dismal play of the Toronto Raptors supposed stars continued unabated, like this was Quarters 5 and 6 of Game 1. DeMar DeRozan missed from everywhere, hitting two shots of 12, one of them a lay-up. Meanwhile Kyle Lowry attempted deeper and deeper 3-balls to no avail; his only basket was a driving lay-up.
Jonas Valanciunas led the offense, as Indiana seems to have little idea how to cover him. Ian Mahinmi is their centre, but offered minimal resistance. JV should have scored far more than the 19 he did, as he missed several bunnies. He dominated the glass again, pulling down 10 boards.
The Raptors defense was highly effective against Pacer penetration in the paint but was vulnerable to the fast break. Monta Ellis was too quick for Toronto defenders on several occasions. He and Paul George each had 10 points in Q2, as Indiana dug themselves out of an 18-point deficit.
Myles Turner, a rookie big man who poses a problem for the Raptors with his hops and surprising scoring, landed awkwardly after steamrolling Lowry. He was helped to the dressing room.
Terrence Ross drained a pair of long balls in Q2, but then bumped heads with DeMar and fell to the floor. He did not return to the game, as he was subject to the concussion protocol.
Second Half
Although DeMar started off with a pair of crisp mid-range jumpers, he couldn’t sustain his form. The third quarter was ugly playoff hoops, with neither team able to overcome the other’s frequently stifling defense. Paul George scored all but one of his team’s 5 buckets, and they had that many turnovers. Despite a donut from JV, and no 3-balls, the Raptors managed to extend their skinny lead to eight entering the fourth.
The tension inside the Air Canada Centre was almost palpable. Coach Dwane Casey decided to give Cory Joseph additional minutes as the point guard, with Kyle moving over to the 2-spot. This tactic worked on both sides of the ball. Lowry got to the free throw line and pulled down a remarkable five rebounds. CoJo had six points and 3 dimes, as he found JV rolling to the rim several times.
The Raptors defense was concerned only with George and Ellis, and the Pacers couldn’t find spacing for those gunners, nor did anyone turn up to provide secondary scoring. After Kyle was fouled outside the arc, and drained all 3 from charity, the Raptors found themselves with a 19-point margin and just 4+ minutes to play.
Indiana coach Frank Vogel ran up the white flag at the 3:16 mark, taking George, Ellis and George Hill off the floor. As sometimes happens, the rotation guys made some shots, so the final score was closer than it should have been.
In Sum…
The Raptors have heaved the dreadful monkey of a playoff losing streak off their backs. And they haven’t come anywhere close to playing their best basketball, since their offense won’t be at full throttle until our All-Stars start making some shots.
DeRozan sat all of Q4, as did fellow starters DeMarre Carroll and Luis Scola. This game was won by the second unit, with CoJo, Bismack Biyombo and Patrick Patterson all providing huge contributions. 2-Pat and CoJo combined for 30 points on a mere 14 shots. Biz hit 5 of 6 free throws – when you get hacked, make ’em pay! JV came to play, leading our team in points and rebounds. Lowry’s 9 assists were most welcome.
The teams are in Indianapolis for Game 3 on Thursday night, and Game 4 on Saturday afternoon.