The Sports Xchange
Dec 1, 2017
TORONTO -- DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points and added five assists and five rebounds to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 120-115 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.
It was the third win in a row for the Raptors (14-7) and the second straight loss for the Pacers (12-11), who got 36 points, seven rebounds and six assists from Victor Oladipo.
The Raptors took a five-point lead into the fourth quarter and expanded it to 13 nearing the midway point of the period.
Darren Collison hit a 3-pointer but missed the free throw after a technical foul was called on Toronto' s Kyle Lowry and the Raptors led by nine with 4:13 left.
Collison reduced the Toronto lead to five points with 1:45 to play with a layup. After stopping the Raptors twice, the Pacers could not score on the ensuing possessions.
DeRozan made two free throws with 27.1 seconds left and Toronto led by seven.
Jakob Poeltl added a career-best 18 points for Toronto. Kyle Lowry had 11 points, seven rebounds and eight assists while for Toronto.
Myles Turner added 17 points and six rebounds for the Pacers. Collison had 16 points and five rebounds and six assists and Thaddeus Young scored 12 points with seven rebounds for the Pacers.
After the Raptors had an early six-point lead, the Pacers came back to open an eight-point advantage and ended the first quarter ahead, 32-28.
The Raptors closed out the first half on a 10-0 run to take a 65-58 lead into the intermission.
Oladipo led all first-half scorers with 20 points. DeRozan had 12 for the Raptors.
The Raptors led by 10 points when Serge Ibaka hit a 3-pointer with 7:08 to play in the third quarter.
The lead was down to five after Turner made two free throws with 4:08 to play in the quarter. Ibaka answered with another 3-pointer.
Former Raptors guard Cory Joseph hit a 3-pointer to finish the scoring in the third, which ended with Toronto leading, 94-89.
The Pacers scored the first four points of the fourth quarter. The Raptors scored the next six points to lead by seven two minutes into the quarter.
The Raptors increased the lead to 13 with 6:48 to play after Fred VanVleet, Poeltl and Lowry reeled off consecutive points.
NOTES: Raptors reserve C Lucas Nogueira (right calf muscle tear) will be out for an undetermined period after being treated with a platelet-rich plasma injection to enhance the healing of the torn muscle in his right calf. The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of the win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. ... Pacers C Myles Turner (sore right knee), who was listed as a game-time decision, was in the starting lineup after Friday. ... Indiana defeated Toronto 107-104 last Friday. ... The Pacers will open a six-game homestand Monday when they host the New York Knicks. ... The Raptors will end a three-game homestand Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns.