Tough start on the road as the Raptors fall to the Pacers 111-91

From top to bottom, everyone available contributed, but it wasn’t enough to start the road trip with a win.

The Toronto Raptors kicked off a road trip by facing off with the Indiana Pacers in a tough loss. Playing the second night of a back-to-back against a team with a rest advantage was enough of a challenge, even before considering the speed with which the Pacers play. They’ll end the season series with them 2-1 after wins in November and December.

Toronto was without Scottie Barnes, but the return of Jakob to the roster helped bolster the front court. Darko went deep into the bench tonight, with 10 players all seeing significant minutes. Quickley led the team in scoring, finishing with 18-2-6 with some creative offence around the rim. RJ struggled at times in this matchup but still ended with 16-2-5, and Mogbo led the bench with 16 and 6.

For the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton undoubtedly was the driving force behind the win. With 33 points 11 assists and 5 stocks, he propelled them to victory. Myles Turner had his own double double with 18 and 10. A familiar face in Pascal also helped out, with 15-8-2. The offence certainly carried them, as is the case for this Pacers team, but their defence tonight was a difference maker, limiting Toronto’s ability to put up points or make their way back into the game.

The first quarter was intriguing, as Indiana managed to have exactly as many points (4) from shots that were not 3-pointers as they had personal fouls (also 4). Despite that, the Pacers had a two point advantage by the end of the quarter, the product of their long-distance shots falling. Tyrese Haliburton was showing off his skill with 12 points in the quarter, with Myles Turner cashing in a pair of his own. For Toronto, Quickley was the highlight of the frame, looking a lot more comfortable on the floor than he did last night. His movement on and off the ball opened up the lane, with 5 points and 2 assists early. Their defence looked engaged and physical, helping keep them in the game.

In the second quarter, the Raptors feasted on interior passing and lobs. The Pacers’ communication and coverage broke down a couple of times and Toronto took advantage quickly. Gradey and Ochai were both able to hit long range shots, and they stayed within a couple possessions throughout the period. Another savvy way the Raptors stayed in the game was their ability to draw offensive fouls and force turnovers. They kept momentum, but in the closing minutes of the frame, the Raptors had a scoring drought, and Indiana capitalized, building a lead. The reality of playing on a back to back seemed to set in too, as they started to look a little bit fatigued.

Coming out of the locker room it felt like every time the Raptors gained some ground, Indiana answered with another run. Tyrese Haliburton showed more of what makes him their franchise player with shooting, anticipating and stealing passes, and finding his teammates. Despite more strong guard play from Quickley and some support off the bench, the Pacers ended the frame up 17.

The physicality of the defence from both teams continued, with guys stepping in to take fouls and recover on closeouts. The defence was on, but the offence continued to struggle. Toronto tried to make one last push in the final minutes of the game, but the fatigue was apparent, and they weren’t able to find an answer for the Pacers’ offence.

Now they will have a night off as they travel to face the Bulls on Friday.