by Wheat Hotchkiss
Riding high after two impressive victories out of the All-Star break, the Pacers (33-25) will look to pick up another victory on Monday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse when they host the Toronto Raptors (21-36) on the second night of a back-to-back.
After handling their business in a 129-115 win over Detroit on Thursday, the Blue & Gold put together one of their most complete performances of the season in Sunday’s 133-111 victory over Dallas, snapping the Mavericks’ seven-game win streak. The Blue and Gold got contributions from up and down the lineup in Sunday’s win.
Veteran center Myles Turner scored a season-high 33 points, going 10-for-15 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free throw line. All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton fed Turner early and often, finishing with 17 points, 10 assists, and four steals. Second-year guards Bennedict Mathurin (14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three steals) and Andrew Nembhard (15 points on 7-of-8 shooting) made a big impact on both ends. And rookie guard Ben Sheppard went a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-point range off the bench en route to a career-high 15 points.
Now, the Pacers will look to avoid a letdown on Monday, playing against a Raptors team that acted as sellers both before and at the trade deadline. Toronto has traded or waived 10 players dating back to Dec. 30, including dealing two-time All-Star forward Pascal Siakam to Indiana in a blockbuster deal on Jan. 17.
The Raptors are building around third-year forward Scottie Barnes, trading away pending free agents like Siakam and OG Anunoby and adding other young players like RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Barnes has blossomed this season, earning his first All-Star selection while averaging 20 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.2 steals. But the Raptors have otherwise scuffled, winning just five of their last 16 games.
The Pacers and Raptors actually met less than two weeks ago, with Indiana grinding out a hard-fought 127-125 Valentine’s Day victory in the final game for both teams before the All-Star break. Toronto has bounced back post-break with two straight victories, beating Brooklyn on Thursday and winning in Atlanta on Sunday. The Raptors will be well-rested on Monday taking on a Pacers team that has struggled all season when playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Bennedict Mathurin, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Raptors: G – Immanuel Quickley, G – Gary Trent Jr., F – RJ Barrett, F – Scottie Barnes, C – Jakob Poeltl
Injury Report
Pacers: Jalen Smith – questionable (lower back spasms), Aaron Nesmith – out (right ankle sprain)
Raptors: None
Last Meeting
Feb. 14, 2024: In his return to Toronto, Pascal Siakam found his rhythm in the second half to lead the Pacers to a 127-125 win over the Raptors team that drafted him in 2016.
The Raptors honored Siakam with a minute-long tribute video before the game that honored his seven-plus seasons in Toronto — where he was a two-time All-Star, won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, and helped the team win its first championship in 2019. The 6-8 forward then stood at center court and touched his heart and waved his hands while receiving a stirring ovation. In one section, virtually every seat was filled with fans wearing Siakam’s number 43 jersey.
“Incredible, man,” Siakam told Bally Sports Indiana’s Jeremiah Johnson after the game. “A little scrawny kid from Cameroon, I came here just with a dream, just trying to make it in the NBA…Just to see that whole crowd, that whole section with my jersey, it means the world to me. I’m humbled and I’m blessed to be part of this.”
Siakam then went out and led his new team to victory, finishing the night with a team-high 23 points, five rebounds, and seven assists, going 8-for-17 from the field and 6-for-9 from the free throw line.
Seven Pacers finished in double figures, with Tyrese Haliburton (21 points and 12 assists) and Isaiah Jackson (15 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks) both recording double-doubles. Rookie Ben Sheppard also came up big, scoring a career-high 10 points off the bench, hitting two key threes in the fourth quarter and coming up with a defensive stop on the game’s final possession.
Scottie Barnes led all scorers with 29 points and narrowly missed out on a triple-double, finishing with 12 rebounds and eight assists for Toronto. RJ Barrett added 23 points and nine boards, Jakob Poeltl tallied 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Immanuel Quickley collected 14 points, six boards, and seven assists.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers and Raptors have split two games so far this season, with the road team prevailing in both contests. The Raptors won on Nov. 22 in Indianapolis and the Pacers won on Feb. 14 in Toronto. They will conclude the season series on April 9 in Toronto.
- Indiana is just 2-8 on the season when playing on the second night of a back-to-back, tied with San Antonio for the second-worst record in the NBA this season (Washington is a league-worst 0-10 on the second night of a back-to-back).
- Since joining the Raptors in the Siakam trade, former Pacers guard Bruce Brown has averaged 9.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists over 16 games (five starts). Former Pacers forward Jordan Nwora has appeared in 12 games with the Raptors and started one, averaging 5.7 points and 2.3 rebounds since the trade.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings)
TV: Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Originally posted on pacers.com