Quick Reaction: Pacers 115, Raptors 120

Serge started this game off incredibly. Looking for his shot (the usual), but was also very active on defense. In what was probably the play of the game, Ibaka sent Bogdonavic’s shot to an unknown rural part of Indiana (yet to be found). The last few minutes, Ibaka played like he was sedated. Not a great finish from Serge.

OG was tasked with a difficult one tonight, defending one of the conference’s best guards thus far, Victor Oladipo. Victor had an incredible game, but that doesn’t all fall on OG. He made plays offensively and showed off his underrated passing ability.

What stood out for me in this game was JV’s post-defense. Jonas challenged various Pacer players at the rim, time after time after time — and won. Keep in mind, that was never a weakness for JV, but big stops defensively for him translated to an energetic output on offense.

DeRozan knew the Raptors needed him to show for this one. He was aggressive early, recording a 12/4/3/1 stat-line in the 1st half. That could’ve easily been a 20/4/3/1 line if the referees… never mind. Deebo had some clutch FTs late, closing this one out for good.

The engine. The motherboard. The beating heart. Kyle makes plays for this team nightly where you silently sit there, reflect, and appreciate his existence. His box score didn’t look inspiring, but he had a hand in many of the game’s most crucial plays.

William Lou put it perfectly. This guy is solidly unspectacular. Goodness gracious. He gave Sabonis and the Pacers’ bigs fits all night long. A career-high in points for the Austrian. Toronto truly lucked into drafting this kid (and the other children, of course). Love you, Yak.

Van Vleet came into the game in the 2nd quarter and took full reins of the bench unit, leading the entire team with a +10 rating in the 1st half. He had some memorable dimes and crucial plays and is quickly proving he’s more than just a third string PG.

It’s getting tiring (in a good way) writing the same thing every night about Siakam. He gives it his all offensively and defensively, providing game-altering plays for Toronto. I particularly liked when he crushed Joseph’s layup attempt in his own version of a “welcome back” greeting.

If CJ Miles has a conscience, remind me where it’s at. All seven of his field goals came from beyond the arc, hitting only two. CJ will have these nights, but he’s still shooting 40% on the season. His solid defense versus the Indiana swingmen was a definite plus.

Norm shot 1 for 4 from the field (0-3 from 3PT) in the first half, as Casey abandoned him for the entire 3rd frame. I don’t blame DC. Norm looked flustered out there but did gain confidence as the game continued. Oh, and he had a nasty one-handed hammer on Sabonis.

Casey made some excellent rotation decisions throughout the game. Everyone seemed fresh and ready to contribute. Casey’s late-game lineup was genius, putting his full trust into Van Vleet and Poeltl. The only questionable decision was going back to Ibaka late in the game. He almost fumbled the game away (literally, with his cinderblock hands).