With their first round series all tied up at a game apiece before Saturday afternoon’s pivotal Game 3, the No. 7 seeded Indiana Pacers aren’t being the best of hosts to their No. 2 seeded foe in the Toronto Raptors.
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DALLAS (AP) – Russell Westbrook had 25 points and 15 assists as Oklahoma City beat Dallas to take a commanding 3-1 lead in a testy first-round series that got quite a bit testier.
DeRozan had averaged just 12 points in Games 1 and 2, and sat out the fourth quarter of Toronto’s Game 2 victory, but he and his teammates insisted it was only a matter of time before he got going.
Toronto Raptors’ Cory Joseph (6) shoots against Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner (33) during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA first-round playoff basketball series Saturday, April 23, 2016, in Indianapolis.
While fighting for position in the lane during a free throw attempt by Ian Mahinmi in the waning seconds of the game, Pacers forward Paul George got tangled with Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas and a mini-skirmish ensued. Mahinmi had a career-high scoring total, while his 10 rebounds and five assists were both playoff career bests. The Raptors shot themselves in the foot, evidenced by 17 turnovers that led to 25 points. Having outperformed Paul George and the Indiana Pacers, DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, as well as the rest of the team, especially Dwane Casey know that their opposition will be be playing like their lives depended on it.
IN raced out of the gates on a 7-0 run in the game’s first two minutes, and built a 14-point lead late in the first quarter by hitting three straight threes.
The video, which features Lowry stunting in a vintage Villanova jacket and DeMarre Carroll belting out Chris Brown’s part in Big Sean’s “Play No Games”, is a cool look into the Raptors’ locker room culture.
Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) leads a fast break against the Los Angeles Clippers during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Saturday, April 23, 2016, in Portland, Ore.
With four games in the books, this now becomes a best-of-three series, and the Pacers will travel back to Toronto for Game 5 on Tuesday. Tip off has yet to be announced. The Raptors have to get back to what they did well in Games 2 and 3, namely defense, or they’re going to be out in the first round for the third year running.
Mahinmi languished for years as a reserve with the Spurs and Mavericks, then as Roy Hibbert’s backup, but he has come into his own after shifting into Frank Vogel’s starting lineup this season.
This press conference room, connected to the Pacers’ locker room, is where Vogel addresses reporters after every home game, and three-time All-Star Paul George does in the playoffs to accommodate the larger media presence.
Clifford texted Kaminsky on Saturday morning with the game plan. “So I had the chance to think about it all day”.
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The win knotted this first-round battle at 2-2, so it now is a best-of-three series. Toronto, which never led or tied the score, cut it to 57-42 at halftime, but couldn’t got closer than 11 in the second half. “I thought we were very attentive and focused on evening this series up”. There were small pockets around the arena, but they were a vocal bunch, chanting “Let’s Go Raptors!” as the final seconds ticked down the game. Indy shot 56 percent from the field while Toronto shot 43 percent. Lin followed with a 3-pointer from the right wing to push the lead to 14, raising the fans clad in black “Enter the swarm” T-shirts and white Hornets headbands off their seats.
