The Indiana Pacers scored the final eight points of first quarter, but then were on the other side of a 20-0 blitz by the Toronto Raptors, who recorded their second double-digit win over the Pacers this season, 104-91 the final on Tuesday night.
“That was a big factor,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said of the second quarter run, “but I thought their bench brought energy in both halves and separated the game in both halves.
“Our margin of error has been slim all year. We understand that. We got to play better. Especially against a great team like the Raptors, one of the top teams in the NBA this year.”
The Raptors (30-15), who captured their third consecutive win, outscored the Pacers in both halves. By six points at intermission — they’re 3-26 this season when down at half — and seven over the final 24 minutes.
“We got to rally together,” said George Hill, who played his second game in a row back from injury. “The good news it can only get better from here.”
Hill scored 13 points in 20 minutes, his magic number, off the bench. He was still his assertive self, even connecting on a runner to conclude the opening frame. In the second half, he didn’t shy away from driving on former teammate Tyler Hansbrough, who threw his hip at him. That wasn’t a surprise at all.
“Nah. That’s Tyler for you,” he said.
That Hill runner put the Pacers in front by seven after one quarter of play. They later moved ahead by 11 points early in the second stanza, 32-21, but then the Raptors scored 20 unanswered points over a five-minutes stretch.
Coach Vogel, however, felt like that run knocked them out of rhythm and impacted their defense. Indiana gave up 100-plus points for the 20th time this year (3-17), and Toronto’s bench was better on this night, +17. The Raptors were led by DeMar DeRozan’s 24 points, and they had three bench players reach double figures. The Pacers are now 0-11 this season when their reserves are outscored as they were tonight, 42-25.
Indiana’s offense had its issues, too. It was stagnant at times as guys were hesitant. That’s the word numerous players were using postgame.
“They really disrupted us on the offensive end; couldn’t get in a rhythm,” Vogel said.
Though they’ve used dozens of different lineups, at this point of the season that shouldn’t be a factor.
“It doesn’t matter who’s on the court or how long you’re on the court,” added Hill. “If you’re on the court for 12 seconds, it better be the best damn 12 seconds that you’ve ever played.”
Again though, guys were hesitant. They were overpassing. Trying almost too much to find something better when they had an open, perfectly acceptable look in front of them.
“We’re doing a little bit too much overpassing in trying to do more of the unselfish togetherness,” Donald Sloan said. “Coach pointed out in the huddle, ‘We’re passing up shots. We’re getting good looks but we’re passing them up trying to make the extra pass.’ I think each individual guy needs to be more assertive.”
The Pacers have finally hit a favorable stretch in their schedule, with Tuesday’s loss one of 15 games at home over the next 20. Still, they cannot just expect wins to come.
“Don’t mean anything because we haven’t won too many at home,” Sloan continued. “I don’t think we can automatically assume we’re going to win every home game just because we’re playing at home.
“Teams are seeing us like they’re wolves and we’re the injured sheep. We just have to play. I don’t think we can really just say things are looking up just because we have so many at home.”
He’s not wrong. Almost halfway through their home slate, the Pacers, who had the best home record last season, are 8-12 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Tuesday’s loss to the Raptors was the Pacers’ eighth ‘L’ in nine games, as they slip to 16-31 on the season — four games out of eighth place (Charlotte).
This losing is obviously weighing on the guys. And how could it not? Many of them, especially George Hill for one, is a winner. That’s all he’s known. A push to stay enthusiastic and up for games is imperative through the final three months.
“I’ve never been a part of being at the bottom of the East or West,” Hill said. “Don’t want to start doing that now. Gotta figure out how we can turn it around, and the turn around has to be ASAP.”