Tyrese Haliburton scored 30 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished out five assists to help the Indiana Pacers defeat the Toronto Raptors 140-123 on Tuesday.
Pascal Siakam, a former Raptors all-star, was warmly welcomed by the fans before contributing 16 points and nine rebounds to Indiana's third consecutive victory. Myles Turner also chipped in 16 points.
RJ Barrett from Mississauga, Ont., recorded 23 points as Toronto (25-54) saw its modest two-game win streak come to an end. Kelly Olynyk from Kamloops, B.C., added 22 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
Javon Freeman-Liberty had a career-best 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Raptors. His previous highest scoring game was 16 points on April 3 in a 133-85 loss to Minnesota.
The Raptors played their final home game of the season after already being eliminated from the NBA’s post-season.
The Raptors' remaining three games are in Brooklyn on Wednesday followed by a back-to-back in Miami on Friday and Sunday.
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic expressed, “It’s been a challenging season. Everyone in this organization is working really hard to turn things around.
“They’re all excited about the summer and the opportunities ahead of us. We’re truly focusing on improving and winning more games in the future.”
The Toronto Raptors' first-round pick in this summer’s NBA draft is uncertain. The team currently has the sixth worst record in the league, but if the draft lottery on May 12 moves them to seventh or a later position, the pick will automatically transfer to the San Antonio Spurs as part of last year’s trade for centre Jakob Poeltl.
Toronto has a 37.2 percent chance of moving into one of the top four picks in the draft lottery and a nine percent chance of landing the first overall pick. However, the Raptors have a more than 50 percent chance of dropping to seventh or worse.
Freeman-Liberty made a strong start, scoring nine points as the Raptors took an early 15-4 lead. Toronto continued to dominate, finishing the first quarter with a 35-25 lead as Freeman-Liberty scored a season-high 14 points in the quarter.
Indiana outscored the Raptors 40-29 in the second quarter, largely due to a 33-12 run. Haliburton tied the game with a pair of free throws, and then Myles Turner hit a 24-foot three-pointer to give the Pacers their first lead of the game. The visitors held a 65-64 lead at halftime.
Turner got into his rhythm in the third quarter, scoring 10 of his points in that period. This helped Indiana extend its lead, going into the final frame with a 106-91 advantage.
In the fourth quarter alone, Haliburton contributed 10 points, three rebounds, and two assists as the Pacers led by as much as 18 in the final 12 minutes of the game.
DICK OUT — Gradey Dick, the Toronto rookie forward, was absent from the game due to a right groin contusion. Rajakovic mentioned before the game that Dick's condition is being assessed on a day-to-day basis. The 20-year-old forward spoke to the fans at Scotiabank Arena before the game and expressed his gratitude for their support during a challenging season.
UP NEXT — The Raptors will travel to Brooklyn to take on the Nets on Wednesday.
Indiana is still traveling and will make a stop in Cleveland to play against the Cavaliers on Friday.
This article was originally published by The Canadian Press on April 9, 2024.
