Indiana’s back is against the wall tonight, as the Raptors set their sights on advancing into the second round with a win.
Paul George, without a doubt, will do everything he can to prevent that from happening. He’s been flat-out sensational throughout this entire series, and another big night from him should help the Pacers force a sudden-death Game 7 at the Air Canada Centre. Can George succeed in doing so? Or will Toronto reign supreme?
Read on below for a comprehensive look at this Eastern Conference matchup. Meanwhile, you can check out our preview of Game 6 between Los Angeles Clippers vs. Portland Trail Blazers as well.
Raptors vs. Pacers — Game Six Round One Preview
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
DeRozan finally relocated his All-Star form in Toronto’s thrilling come-from-behind triumph in Game 5. He exploded for a team-high 34 points on 10-of-22 shooting from the field. And more importantly, he was also able to get to the charity stripe as he sank 12 out of his 13 shot attempts.
Furthermore, the Raptors’ second unit came up huge in Tuesday night’s victory as well. Leading the way was the trio of Norman Powell, Bismack Biyombo and Cory Joseph. They combined for 28 points and 23 rebounds off the bench.
If the Raptors receive the same level of contributions from DeRozan and their bench again, it might just be enough to help them earn a ticket to the next round. But they should also be hoping for an outburst from their other All-Star in Kyle Lowry, who’s been shooting horrendously (31.4 FG%) throughout this series. Can Lowry finally do so?
On defense, meanwhile, the Raptors can’t let Paul George impose his will. They’ll need to force him away from his sweet spots and play honest defense at the same time.
Speaking of which, that responsibility will mostly fall on DeMarre Carroll, who’s known as one of the best lockdown defenders in the league right now. He hasn’t shown that yet in the first five games of this series, though.
Toronto is 5-5 SU and 4-6 ATS in its last 10 road games.
Betting on the Indiana Pacers
The Pacers almost did everything right in Game 5. Their shots were falling, their defense was relatively solid and the ball was moving. But things unfortunately fell apart at the most crucial part of the game—the fourth quarter. During that stretch, Indiana was limited to just nine points (4-of-15 shooting) and committed six turnovers in total.
What’s done is done, though, and the Pacers need to keep their heads held high. The series is still not over, and they can even things up by taking care of business in tonight’s must-win Game 6.
A lot of pressure will be on Paul George to prevent his team from getting eliminated. Expect him to remind us—and the Toronto Raptors—why he’s one of the best scorers in the league right now. The 25-year-old All-Star forward is racking up 28.8 points, 6.0 boards and 4.6 dimes while also shooting 47.1 percent from the floor this postseason.
However, the Pacers need to avoid leaning too much on their superstar on offense. If they do so, George might not have enough energy to carry them down the stretch.
That being said, the Pacers better utilize every possession by sharing the basketball. It’ll surely get the others going offensively, and more importantly force the opposing defense to spend more its energy. Indy dished out 22 assists on 33 made field goals despite the loss in Game 5.
The Pacers are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games following a loss.
Writer’s Prediction
Indiana (-2) guts out an entertaining 93-88 victory.
