The Indiana Pacers fell to the Toronto Raptors in Game 3, giving homecourt advantage back to the Raptors.
The Raptors overwhelmed the Pacers from the start of Game 3, winning 101-85 in the series’ first game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Paul George led the Indiana with 25 points followed by Myles Turner’s 17 points and George Hill’s 12. They were the only Indiana Pacers who in double digits. PG had a double-double thanks to the 10 rebounds he had to go along with 6 assists.
DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry led the Raptors with 21 points each.
Toronto’s offense was as strong as their defense in Game 3 and despite their 3-point shooting still being suspect, the were able to handle Indiana’s starters while pounding the Pacers defensively. The games typically slow down in the playoffs, but the Raptors playing at a slower pace is something that plays to their favor whereas Indiana’s offense could benefit from the tempo of the game picking up.
Data curated by PointAfter
Jonas Valanciunas just missed out on another double-double in the series as he had 9 points to pair with his 14 rebounds and is dominating the paint. It didn’t help that Ian Mahinmi is clearly dealing with continuing back issues, and before the game coach Frank Vogel said the Frenchmen wouldn’t be playing if this were the regular season.
More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds
- 2 Studs, 1 dud from gut-wrenching Indiana Pacers loss to Charlotte Hornets
- Handing out early-season grades for Pacers’ Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin
- 3 positives, 2 negatives in Pacers In-Season Tournament win vs. Cavaliers
- 2 positives, 3 negatives from first week of Indiana Pacers basketball
- Should Isaiah Jackson’s days with Indiana Pacers be numbered?
Unfortunately, for the Pacers, this is the postseason, and they find themselves trailing 2-1 in the series as Game 4 is set to tip-off at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
If Indiana wants to get back in the series, they’ll need C.J. Miles and other Pacers to find a way to score. Miles is struggling again as he’s shooting only 23.5% from the field in the series. He isn’t the only one that needs to step up his game, but he’s the most likely and one of the few Pacers with a high offensive ceiling when their shots are falling.
Ellis also struggled to score on Thursday with 7 points to go with 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Ellis — along with most of the Indiana roster — could benefit from adding some aggressiveness to their game, something Paul George found the team lacking.
Next: So What Would A Pacer Versus A Raptor Look Like?
The Pacers will need to be more than just aggressive if they want to head back to Toronto with the series tied.