Déjà vu, anyone? Just a couple of days after their defeat on the road to the Toronto Raptors, the Indiana Pacers were once again dispatched by the same team, losing at home in yet another close contest on the second night of a back-to-back, sinking them at 1-6 on the season, tied for the worst record not only in the East, but also in the entire league.
Fatigued by their prior close loss to the Brooklyn Nets, the Pacers simply lacked the scoring juice to hang with the springy Raptors, which are also playing on the second leg of a back-to-back. While Indiana managed to show a great defensive performance, limiting Toronto to 42.4 percent shooting overall, their offense was too measly and turnover-prone as they were thwarted late in the fourth quarter.
Save for a last minute run that was well too late to trump their adversaries, the Pacers simply couldn’t get it going offensively, succumbing to Toronto’s pressure D and committing a staggering 19 turnovers. Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner both registered double-doubles of their own, but Scottie Barnes and Fred VanVleet delivered the goods in the fourth quarter for the Raptors.
As the Indiana Pacers get an off day before another matinee at home against the San Antonio Spurs, here are three takeaways from their disappointing finish against Toronto.