Pacers vs. Raptors 2016 results: Furious fourth-quarter rally leads Toronto over Indiana in pivotal Game 5

DeMar Derozan had 34 points as the Raptors held the Pacers to nine points in the fourth quarter on their way to a 102-99 win.

The Pacers could not miss in the first quarter, they assisted on 11 made buckets as they went 12-of-21 from the field on the way to a 35-20 lead. The Raptors, who looked nervous to start the game, went on an 15-1 run after falling behind by 17. They were still outplayed by Indiana -- which hit 11 threes in the first half -- and trailed the Pacers 61-52 after two quarters.

The Raptors pulled to within five in the third, but then George took over. He had 15 points in the third as the Pacers extended the lead to 13, leading 90-77 heading into the fourth. That’s when the Raptors took over. They sprinted past the Pacers, who seemed to forget how to play basketball -- a recurring theme for the Pacers in the fourth quarter. They went on a 21-2 run to start the quarter and held off one last rally from the Pacers to take control of the series.

The Raptors can clinch in Indiana on Friday.

Here are three things we learned:

After giving up 90 points through three quarters, the Raptors defense looked like it was going to let the Pacers run away with the game. All the defense needed, it turns out, was a jolt of energy. The Raptors came out aggressively, bringing more intensity than they had all night. And it led to offense.

The Pacers offense was miserable in the fourth. The Raptors not only slowed George, they left the entire Pacers offense in shambles -- Indiana had six turnovers in the fourth. It ignited the Raptors offense, too. They made only six threes all night, but three of them came in the frantic fourth.

Even in a loss, George was spectacular. Before going cold like the rest of his team in the fourth, he carried the Pacers, hitting a bucket every time they needed it. He was 11-of-19 from the field and 5-for-11 from deep. No one on the Raptors could guard him, especially when he was hitting extremely difficult shots.

George plateaued after a hot start in the early season, but he is firing on all cylinders right now -- and, even though they’re hanging on by a thread, he’s the reason the Pacers could still shock the Raptors.

Just like in Game 1, when they shot 11-of-21 from deep, the Raptors couldn’t handle the Pacers offense. After losing the big men that had defined the early 2010s versions of the Pacers, they’ve adapted into a small ball squad this season. They dished out 22 assists on 33 made field goals -- the offense was unstoppable. There were some growing pains for the Pacers this season -- including George not having any interest in playing power forward -- but it’s paying dividends now.

Lowry’s playoff struggles continued. He was 1-of-6 from the field with two assists in the first half, and, while he was better in the second half, it still wasn’t enough. He ended the night with 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting. The Raptors were able to pull off the amazing comeback, but through three quarters they were a shell of their regular season selves. Not only does Lowry need to pick up his play for the Raptors to win this series, but they wont stand a chance in the second round or beyond unless he returns to form.