George had 16 points in the third to lift in to its first lead of the game and the Pacers took a 70-67 advantage into the fourth. The pair went 1 for 10 from 3-point range and 8 for 15 at the free-throw line. “You want every call and every play to be in your way”, said Valanciunas, who still finished with a franchise-best 19 rebounds in a post-season game, to go along with 12 points.
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The day couldn’t have gone more wrong for a Raptors squad who’d waited a year to rewrite their playoff story after a humiliating four-game sweep by the Washington Wizards last spring. Fellow All-Star guard Kyle Lowry, who scored 21.2 per game, was 3 of 13 for 11 points and committed six of the team’s 20 turnovers.
Toronto, first-round losers in each of the past two seasons, has never won a seven-game playoff series.
Indiana Pacers’ star Paul George would step forward to lead the charge for his team.
The Toronto Raptors average a field goal percentage of 45.1% this season.
At no point in the Toronto Raptors’ Game 1 defeat were they dominating the contest.
Pacers held the biggest lead of the game with 13 points while there were four lead changes and the game was tied five times.
Social media was abuzz as the Raptors dropped Game 1 to the Indiana Pacers 100-90 with much of the criticism aimed at Lowry and DeRozan.
Pacers president Larry Bird, whose National Basketball Association playing, coaching and front-office career spans nearly 40 years, said Turner’s work ethic is one of the best he’s been around.
Casey, nor DeRozan and Lowry say they don’t buy into that theory, though.
The Raptors led the entire game up until the opening minutes of the second half. He played only briefly in the second half and is listed as questionable for Monday. A three-pointer by guard Monta Ellis made it 95-82 for IN with 1:49 remaining.The Pacers will also be bringing in the Raptors beat them in the regular season with a 3-1 count.George missed all but six games last season after breaking his right leg while playing in a scrimmage with Team USA before the 2014 World Cup.
“I just said you find out who your friends are, you’re going to find out real quick who your friends are.when your backs are against the wall”, Casey said.
And just like that, the Pacers appear transformed while the Raptors, well, they look like the same old Raptors, a team that just can’t win in the postseason.
“After the first half I watched film in the back”, George said.
“I’ve been doubted ever since I’ve been in the league”, said DeRozan, the seven-year pro and two-time all-star.
The Raptors host IN in Game 2 on Monday. “I got locked in, I got focused, I made shots”. Norman Powell was the game’s leading scorer with 30 points on 12-for-18 shooting.
“This means a lot, it means a lot to be back here, it means a lot to be on this stage again”, said the three-time NBA All Star. Myles Turner and George Hill added 10 each for Indiana.
“We’re not panicking. We understand that we just played bad”, DeRozan said. In fact, the Raptors have made it past the first round of the playoffs just once in their history, in 2001.
“I don’t think they’re rattled. We’re positive. We got some looks that we liked and some looks that we know we can make”. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Raptors have a solid 22-11 record while the Pacers have a 19-15 record.
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There was a lot of talk between games about the Raptors setting better screens to get DeRozan and Lowry a little freer but it wasn’t just the screens that were mentioned.
