Indiana @ Toronto preview
Scotiabank Arena
Last Meeting ( Nov 22, 2023 ) Toronto 132, Indiana 131
Pascal Siakam is set to go up against his former team for the first time when the Indiana Pacers clash with the host Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
Siakam, a Raptors stalwart for seven-plus seasons, was traded to Indiana on Jan. 17. He won a championship with Toronto back in 2019 and ranks third in franchise history in rebounds (3,324), fifth in scoring (8,875 points) and fifth in games played (510).
Both Toronto and Indiana are coming off losses on Monday.
Siakam scored 18 points for the Pacers in a 111-102 setback against the host Charlotte Hornets, while the Raptors were humiliated by the visiting San Antonio Spurs, 122-99.
Both teams faced criticism from their respective coaches for their lackluster performances.
"We didn't play with the kind of urgency from start to finish that we needed to have, as simple as that," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "We talked a lot about (the Hornets') trade and how they played (on Saturday). They're clearly a team that is energized. We needed to match that and we didn't."
There was a similar reaction in Toronto.
"It was a lack of effort," Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. "It was lack of intensity. It was lack of focus. All of that from the start of the game. Way too many turnovers, leading to easy points and easy scores."
Scottie Barnes had a poor scoring night for Toronto on Monday. He made just 3 of 15 shots en route to seven points, also grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out nine assists.
"I thought that (Barnes) blended in with the performance of the whole team, and that was not the standard that we expect," Rajakovic said.
Toronto seemed intimidated by Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama, who had a career-best 10 blocked shots to go with 27 points and 14 rebounds.
"His early blocked shots just changed our attacking the paint," Rajakovic said. "We were hesitant to attack."
Toronto's top scorer was rookie Gradey Dick, who had 18 points.
"I feel like the most important advice that I got from the vets when I first got here was how there's going to be so many ups and downs throughout the whole season and to obviously enjoy the ups but learn from the downs," Dick said. "This is definitely a down, the way that we came out and played, but at the same time it's a learning experience, obviously for me the most."
Bruce Brown, part of the Siakam trade, had 12 points for Toronto on Monday.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton had strong words after the loss to Charlotte.
"At some point as a group, we've got to grow up," Haliburton said. "I've got to play better. We've just got to play better top to bottom. We've just got to mature as a group. We have to win these games."
Haliburton had 13 points and 12 assists vs. the Hornets.
Siakam has slowly been establishing chemistry with Haliburton, the NBA's leader in assists per game (11.7) this season.
"I've just got to like always be ready and we've got to figure out rhythms. Him understanding my rhythms and me understanding also his rhythms," Siakam said. "I definitely haven't played with someone like him before, so I'm just learning on the fly and I think the more we're out there, we'll get comfortable."
Wednesday marks the second meeting of the season between the teams. Toronto defeated Indiana 132-131 on Nov. 22 in Indianapolis. Siakam had 36 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors.
--Field Level Media