The Indiana Pacers moved to within a victory of clinching their fifth straight playoff berth with an emphatic 14-point victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. They will look to seal their place in the postseason later tonight when they square off with the Toronto Raptors in a mouth-watering clash at Air Canada Centre?
Can the Pacers keep their playoff streak going? Or will the Raptors spoil their party? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this Eastern Conference matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Cleveland vs. Chicago and Oklahoma City vs. Sacramento.
The Indiana Pacers extended their winning streak to three games with a comprehensive 123-109 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Five players scored in double-figures for the Pacers who stayed a half-game ahead of eighth-place Detroit and moved 3.5 games clear of ninth-place Chicago in the Eastern Conference standings with four games left to play.
Key to the Pacers’ stunning resurgence has been their excellent play on the offensive end. The Pacers are averaging 110 points over their last three games, way above their 101.9 PPG season average. That sizzling offense was in full display Wednesday against Cleveland where they shot an incredible 56.1 percent from the field.
Indiana will look to keep the momentum going when it takes on Toronto later tonight. For the Pacers to accomplish that feat, they will need Paul George to continue his outstanding play. George scored a game-high 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the floor in the win against the Cavs. George has been magnificent for the Pacers this campaign, averaging 23.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and a team-high 1.9 steals per game this season.
The Pacers are 5-5 SU and ATS in their last 10 road games.
Toronto’s hopes of grabbing the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs took a big hit on Thursday night when the Raptors fell on the road to Atlanta, 95-87. The Raptors simply had no answer for the Hawks’ balanced attack which saw all five Atlanta starters score in double-figures. It has been a miserable stretch for the playoff-bound Raptors who have now lost two of their last three games.
The Raptors will look to get their season back on track when they lock horns with the Pacers later tonight. The Raptors will fancy their chances of doing just that as they have fared extremely well against the Pacers at home of late. The Raptors have won their last four meetings with Indiana at Air Canada Centre, beating them by an average of 10 points. The Raptors have covered the spread in each of those four games as well.
For Toronto to return to the win column, it’s crucial that Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan step up their play tonight. The dynamic duo combined for just 32 points on a woeful 13-of-39 shooting in the Raptors’ loss to the Hawks. Lowry and DeRozan are averaging a combined 48 points in three meetings with the Pacers this season.
The Raptors are 7-3 SU and 5-5 ATS in their last 10 home games.
