The Toronto Raptors traveled to Indianapolis to face the Indiana Pacers, looking to earn a win to finish their two game, mid-week, road trip. This game was a low scoring affair, as the Pacers held the Raptors to just 16 points in the second quarter, taking a 46-43 halftime lead. Toronto returned the favour in the third quarter, holding Indiana to 14 points. The Raptors battled back to take a slim 63-60 lead into the fourth quarter. The game couldn’t be decided in regulation, with the Raptors and Pacers deadlocked at 85-85, so the teams would continue to battle into overtime. The Raptors pulled away in the extra frame, outscoring the Pacers 16-9, powered by eight points from Kyle Lowry and four more from DeMar DeRozan, who also had ten points in the fourth quarter (Lowry also scored seven points in the fourth quarter).
The Raptors’ NBA All-Stars rose the occasion once again, with DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry each scoring 28 points. Lowry also had eight rebounds, four assists, three steals, but also an unusually high eight turnovers. DeRozan also posted five rebounds, and three assists.
With Jonas Valanciunas getting another night off to rest and to ensure his left hand injury heals appropriately, Bismack Biyombo was given the start. In the start, Biyombo scored a career high 16 points, two blocks, and he set a new Raptors’ franchise record with 25 rebounds, breaking the previous franchise high rebounding mark of 24 set by former Toronto Raptors forward Donyell Marshall. Interestingly, Marshall also has the Raptors’ team record for most made three-point shots in a game, with 12. (It is also currently an all-time NBA record he shares with Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry).
Biyombo is also now the first Toronto Raptors player to have posted two 20 rebound games in the same season.
Bismack Biyombo is the first Raptor to record 20+ rebounds twice in the same season. #RTZ
— RaptorsMR (@RaptorsMR) March 18, 2016
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Paul George and George Hill led in scoring for the Pacers, each posting 18 points.
Biyombo wasn’t the only one to set a new Raptors’ franchise record in this game. Raptors Head coach Dwane Casey also set a new franchise best, earning his 200th win, which sets a new mark for the most wins by a Raptors head coach in the team’s 21 season history.
The Toronto Raptors are now 46-21 on the season, and are 7-3 in their last ten games. The Raptors will return to Toronto to host division rival Boston Celtics on Friday night, March 18th. The Raptors are 10-1 against their Atlantic Division opponents this season, and will look to improve on that as the Celtics are currently on a three game slide.
Postgame Reactions:
Bismack Biyombo
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcJMHt3wSVk]Kyle Lowry
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xnUhIdVnv4]Dwane Casey
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoEkrDv0sK8]DeMar DeRozan
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