![Larry Bird was clearly unhappy with the way his team finished Game 5. [Photo: @CBSSportsNBA]](https://i0.wp.com/www.vigilantsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/2016-04-26-Larry-Bird-during-Game-5.jpeg?resize=598%2C332)
Larry Bird was clearly unhappy with the way his team finished Game 5. [Photo: @CBSSportsNBA]
Give the Raptors credit, they came back and played tight defense on the Pacers in a 102-99 win Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre.
The Raptors have now taken a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, which moves back to Indianapolis for Game 6 on Friday evening.
At the Buzzer: R1 G5 — Raptors 102, Pacers 99
This is what was said afterwards:
Pacers coach Frank Vogel:
On what allowed the Raptors back in the game…
Their bench came in with great energy and made little bit of a run early and they carried it over against our starters when we got our guys back in.
On if he considered not going back to his bench at the beginning of the fourth quarter…
I did. Chose to trust those guys. Those guys have been good for us. They had a tough stretch there.
On his message to the team…
Remain confident and don’t get caught up in “that kind of loss.” I said all game long when we had the lead, it’s a 48-minute game. You can’t get caught up in what we led at what time or anything like that. We’re trying to beat a 56-win team in their building in a Game 5. It’s a 48-minute game. We played well and just fell short, remain confident, and come back and get Game 6.
On how tough it was to keep Paul George out at the start of the fourth after scoring 37 points through three quarters…
Well, he looked pretty gassed at the end of the third. We had a decent lead that I thought we could hold up. That lead stayed around 11 until around the nine-minute, and then we’re ready to get him back in.
On his range of emotion in the final minute…
Yeah, I don’t really feel any emotions during a game like that. I just think the next play and what move we have to make. It was a heck of a basketball game. Credit the Raptors for doing what they needed to do. Now it’s on us to come back and get Game 6.
On the final play, and if it was a play call for Paul George…
Yeah I wanted him to take the last shot if he was open. He stumbled a little bit, had two guys on him, and made the right basketball play. It was a just a great play. One frame shy of being a tie game going into overtime.
Paul George:
On the improved play of DeMar DeRozan…
For every game, we plan as if DeMar (DeRozan) is going to score 30 or 40 points. We just have to make it tough for him.
On what changed in the fourth quarter..
We didn’t make enough plays, that is what it came down to in the fourth quarter. We have to put this (game) away. Friday (Game Six) is a new day and we have to get a win – it’s a must-win. It’s awful to have a chance to win on the road and then come back home, but we failed to live up to the moment.
On what he saw during his long look at the stat sheet postgame…
Only one stat: nine points in the fourth quarter. It’s the only thing to look at.
Solomon Hill:
On his shot being waved off…
It felt good. I thought I got it off in time. I didn’t really see the clock or whatever. … Maybe if I realeaded it quicker and I get it off in time, maybe I don’t make it. We know full heartedly that it should’ve have came that, it shouldn’t have came to those last couple of plays.
On Toronto trying to get a foul on every play…
Yeah, that’s all it is. Even when Paul George got his tech, and it should’ve been a double-tech, they’re doing what they’re supposed to do. They are going at our best player, trying to get under his skin. If it causes them to get a tech, it really doesn’t matter on their end. They’re more desperate so they’re going after guys like that. It’s tough when we have a star player like Paul George and they’re going after him, and protecting himself he gets called (for) a tech.
Solo: Raptors aren’t playing basketball. They’re just going after PG and trying to draw fouls. #Pacershttps://t.co/Cm0JucpywL
— FOX Sports Indiana (@FSIndiana) April 27, 2016
Myles Turner:
On the loss…
It is very frustrating some of those breakdowns were on me in some of the pick-and-roll coverages, I take responsibility on that. It didn’t come down to just that we had a chance to will this thing in.
On what changed in the final 12 minutes…
We just didn’t start the fourth quarter off well enough offensively. Of course we gave up some buckets on the other end but offensively we got real stagnant and didn’t score for I don’t know how long, so that hurt.
On if he takes solace in the fact that the game almost went into overtime…
My thoughts on it are that’s it’s over and we have to move on. Take this out of our heart and take it to game six.
Raptors coach Dwane Casey:
On why he played a smaller lineup in the fourth and how he felt it worked…
Getting our butts beat by 15 or whatever it was. I thought we were going to go down with the guys that were swinging, that group was giving it to us physically, they were getting into them, so they were just scrapping and that is what the playoffs are about. Fight, toughness, want to and again for whatever the reason we didn’t start the game that way, we ended up that way but we didn’t start that way so we know that there is another level that we can get to, that we got to get to if we intend to get one more game.
On the defense on Paul George…
It was team defense. One guy is not going to stop him and for whatever reason I thought our defensive help was there. One guy is not going to stop Paul George. He is such a great scorer. Norm (Powell) did a good job but it wasn’t a one man show. I got on Norm as he was supposed to foul (Paul George) in that last situation. I thought he was reaching but he didn’t grab him. We said if he dribbles grab him, and he said he tried to but he passed before the officials called it. I thought he came in and gave us some good minutes, some physicality, some toughness, because that is what these games are about.
DeMar DeRozan:
On his performance…
I just felt like my normal self. It’s all about patience, you can’t get flustered, and you have to stay the course. That’s what we want to continue to do and do whatever it takes to win.
Patrick Patterson:
On what happened in the fourth quarter…
Norman (Powell), Bismack Biyombo, Cory Joseph and every single individual on that bench who came into that game after that third quarter just set the tone. Great defense led to great opportunities on the offensive court. When our bench came in those guys just took the game to the next level and actually gave us a chance. We ended up winning.