Here we go again. The Toronto Raptors dropped the first game of an opening-round playoff series for the eighth consecutive time with a gut-wrenching 100-90 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. The second-seeded Raptors will look to even things up with the Pacers when they lock horns in the second game of their mouth-watering best-of-seven series this coming Monday.
Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this critical matchup and while you are at it, you can check out our other Game 2 previews in Houston vs. Golden State and Dallas vs. Oklahoma City.
Line: Indiana Pacers (+7) at Toronto Raptors (-7); total: 193.5 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: NBATV
Betting on the Indiana Pacers
Indiana’s quest for a first NBA championship is off to a solid start after stunning the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference clash on Saturday. Five players scored in double-figures for the Pacers who snapped their five-game losing streak at Air Canada Centre.
Leading the way for Indiana in this victory was Paul George. He recorded a game-high 33 points, six assists and four rebounds in 38 minutes of action. George became the first Pacer since Jalen Rose in the 2000 NBA Finals to have at least 30 points and five assists in a playoff win. George was simply unstoppable in the second half, scoring 27 of his 33 points in the final two quarters.
For the Pacers to build a 2-0 series lead tonight, they will need to continue their excellent play on the defensive end. The Pacers held the Raptors to just 90 points on a woeful 38.0 percent shooting from the field. Indiana improved to 26-1 this season when holding opponents to 94 points or fewer.
Apart from playing solid defense, it’s also vital for the Pacers that they sustain their hot perimeter shooting. Indiana shot 11-of-21 from deep in Game 1 after going just 16-of-55 in their last two regular-season matchups with Toronto. The Pacers need to punish a Toronto defense that’s ranked 29th in opponent 3-point percentage at 37.3.
The Pacers are 4-1 ATS in their last five Conference Quarterfinals games.
Toronto’s playoff woes continued on Saturday with a heart-breaking loss to Indiana in the opening game of their best-of-seven series. It was a disappointing result for the Raptors who absorbed their seventh successive postseason defeat. They were swept out of the first round last year after losing the final two games of a seven-game series loss to the Brooklyn Nets the year before.
For the Raptors to grab the equalizer in Game 2, they will need DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry to step up their play. Toronto’s star backcourt duo struggled mightily in Game 1, combining for just 25 points on 8-of-32 shooting from the field. Lowry shot 1-for-7 from beyond the arc, missed five free throws and committed six miscues while DeRozan went 5-for-19 from the floor and had three turnovers of his own. That’s quite a shock considering they averaged a combined 48 points in three meetings with Indiana this past regular season.
It’s also paramount for the Raptors that they find their range from downtown in Game 2. Toronto shot horribly from deep in Game 1, going just 4-of-19 from the 3-point area against Indiana. That kind of perimeter showing simply won’t do against an Indiana side that ranked eighth this season in scoring defense. Apart from improving their outside shooting, the Raptors will also need to take better care of the basketball in Game 2. They committed 20 turnovers on Saturday, resulting into 25 Indiana points.
The Raptors are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Toronto (-7) wins, 102-93, to level the series at one game apiece.
