The Indiana Pacers won Game 6 and suddenly the Toronto Raptors are right back where they've been the last two years: in danger of blowing yet another first-round playoff series without ever knowing what the second round feels like.
Raptors vs. Pacers 2016 final score: Indiana wins to set up a decisive Game 7
All of Toronto’s playoff failures are coming back to haunt them now.
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Indiana won 101-83 at home on Friday and now the series moves to a decisive Game 7 on Sunday in Toronto. All of the ghosts and demons of the Raptors’ past will be popping up over the next two days. They were, after all, the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with their most convincing season to date, only to fall apart and not look like the team we’ve seen all season in these playoffs.
To begin the game, the Raptors did quickly jump out to an early lead, going up 18-6 early thanks to nine first-quarter points from DeMarre Carroll. Although Carroll’s opening series for Toronto has been up and down after missing most of the season, his play early in Game 6 was excellent. Of course, the first-quarter highlight was one coming from DeRozan, when he soared for this putback dunk.
Still, the quick first quarter lead couldn’t be sustained by Toronto, who allowed the Pacers to close the first quarter strong. Both the first and second quarters were won 22-20 by the Raptors, but a 31-20 quarter for Indiana in the third swung things back into their favor, with Myles Turner’s long jumper giving them their first lead of the second half.
By the fourth quarter, the Raptors could barely even score, and Indiana marched to a blowout win. And now we’re set for a Game 7.
1. Paul George’s teammates carried him
George entered Game 6 leading everyone in the playoffs in points scored, including Game 5's 39-point outing that came just shy of a win. However, George struggled on Friday, with only a couple field goal makes about halfway through the third quarter when the Pacers made their run to go ahead in the game for good. Instead, it was his teammates stepping up: all four starters besides George scored 12 points or more, and while Solomon Hill had just six points, his plus-24 did indicate how much of a factor he was in all areas during the Pacers' big runs.
By the game’s end, George had slightly vindicated himself -- he still led the Pacers in scoring with 15 points, even if it came on 4-of-13 shooting, and led the team with 11 rebounds, as well. But after his big contributions on Tuesday in Game 5 went for naught, it had to feel nice for him to see his teammates flip the script and step up for him.
2. Where are Toronto’s stars?
Lowry and DeRozan combined for 18 points on 7-of-26 shooting, and while Lowry did record 10 assists, the team is desperately missing the scoring of those two. Lowry’s elbow injury may still be bothering him, despite him insisting it isn’t, but DeRozan’s collapse for yet another first-round series isn’t easily explainable. On Friday, their second half was just miserable: they barely scraped 20 points in the third quarter and with 3:27 left in the frame, had just five points in the entirety of the fourth. That’s bad.
3. Game 7 is going to be so dramatic
The Raptors are on the verge of blowing another first-round series and you know all of Toronto will be in an absolute panic. This year, their team finally looked different, firmly marching to their No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and even pushing Cleveland for No. 1 up until the final month of the season. They drew the Pacers, who alternate between wowing you and making you wonder how they even won 40 games in a season. Given Indiana’s inconsistency, even with Toronto’s shaky playoff history, most people didn’t expect this. Yet, here we are.
It’s a good thing Drake’s new album dropped Friday -- 20 songs long! That’s a lot of new music for Toronto fans to think about their exes and how sad another encroaching Raptors collapse is.
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