NBA playoff scores 2016: Raptors stave off demons with 1 amazing quarter

The Raptors saved themselves and their season with a comeback for the ages, then the Hawks found their stroke on Tuesday night in the NBA Playoffs.

by Liam Boylan-Pett

Apr 27, 2016, 12:00 PM UTC

Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

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NBA playoffs 2016: Raptors charge back to beat Pacers, Hawks offense reignites

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It was seeming destined to happen again. Trailing 90-77 with one quarter to play in Game 5, the Toronto Raptors were going to lose Game 5 at home to the Indiana Pacers then give away Game 6 on the road, once more failing to advance past the first round of the playoffs.

But this Raptors team wasn’t going to let it go down like that.

Instead of fulfilling the narrative, the Raptors fought back. They outscored the Pacers 21-2 to start the fourth and held off a Pacers rally in the final minute -- including an oh-so-close buzzer beater that didn't count -- to beat the Pacers, 102-99. With a 3-2 series lead, they'll head to Indianapolis for Game 6 with a chance to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since Vince Carter led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001.

If they are ever going to shake their playoff demons, the fourth quarter of Game 5 could be the starting point.

The Raptors were spectacular during that frame, outscoring the Pacers 25-9 by outhustling and outdefending a team that had dominated them through three quarters. DeMar DeRozan had 34 points to lead the the team, but the suffocating play from each and every Raptors player in the fourth is what carried them to an improbable win.

Bismack Biyombo, who had 10 points and 16 rebounds, flew through the lane for buckets. Kyle Lowry, who struggled once again, played his best quarter of the game. DeRozan got to the free throw line. Norman Powell even got in on the fun.

Toronto has tied it all up! https://t.co/ICHa9QTFkm
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 27, 2016

Even after the superb quarter, the Raptors almost fell victim to their burden once again. They needed a little bit of luck, as Solomon Hill’s apparent game-tying three came just after the buzzer.

The @Pacers were this close to pushing the game to OT...The shot was NO GOOD. https://t.co/dE56iYvude
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 27, 2016

Luck or not, the Raptors are one game away from erasing 15 years of playoff futility.

2 other things

Paul George was a star through three quarters, but he and the Pacers continued to struggle in the fourth

George had 39 points in the loss to the Raptors, but only two of them came in the fourth quarter when the Pacers went ice cold. Through the first three quarters he was a menace to the Raptors, hitting shots from everywhere on the court, including driving layups that no one should be able to make.

He put on a clinic to help give the Pacers a 13-point lead heading into the fourth, but neither he nor the Pacers could finish the game.

The Atlanta Hawks finally found their stroke

The Hawks couldn't hit a shot all series. They were shooting 40 percent in the first four games of their playoff series against the Boston Celtics, well below the 45 percent they shot in the regular season. And Game 5 didn't seem like it was going to be any different -- they started the game 6-for-34. For once this postseason, however, the drought didn't last. They finished the game going 36-of-62 as they coasted to a blowout win over the Celtics. Most importantly for the Hawks, they were 14-of-36 from three, hitting 38.9 percent after shooting 28 percent through the first four games.

The hot shooting Hawks are too much for the Celtics, especially when Isaiah Thomas has an off game with only seven points before suffering a mild ankle sprain. If Atlanta can shoot well again in Game 6 on Thursday, they will likely be flying to Cleveland for the start of a second round series against the Cavaliers.