Game Rewind: Pacers 127, Raptors 125

Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 PM ET at Scotiabank Arena

It was an emotional night for Pascal Siakam, returning to Toronto for the first time since being traded to Indiana last month. The emotions may have gotten the best of him in the first half, as he went 2-for-9 over the first two quarters.

But Siakam found his rhythm in the second half, scoring 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting after halftime and hitting several key shots in crunch time — including the go-ahead basket — to lift the Pacers (31-25) to a 127-125 win over the Raptors (19-36) in their final game before the All-Star break.

The Raptors honored Siakam — who was drafted by the Raptors in 2016, helped the franchise win its first championship in 2019, and made two All-Star teams during his seven-plus seasons in Toronto — with a minute-long tribute video prior to the tip of Wednesday's game. The 6-8 forward then stood at center court and touched his heart and waved his hands while receiving a stirring ovation. In one section, virtually every seat was filled with fans wearing Siakam's number 43 jersey.

"Incredible, man," Siakam told Bally Sports Indiana's Jeremiah Johnson after the game. "A little scrawny kid from Cameroon, I came here just with a dream, just trying to make it in the NBA...Just to see that whole crowd, that whole section with my jersey, it means the world to me. I'm humbled and I'm blessed to be part of this."

He finished the night with a team-high 23 points, five rebounds, and seven assists, going 8-for-17 from the field and 6-for-9 from the free throw line in his first game against the team that drafted him.

Seven Pacers finished in double figures, with Tyrese Haliburton (21 points and 12 assists) and Isaiah Jackson (15 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks) both recording double-doubles. Rookie Ben Sheppard also came up big, scoring a career-high 10 points off the bench, hitting two key threes in the fourth quarter and coming up with a defensive stop on the game's final possession.

The Pacers found a way to grind out a win and pick up some positive momentum heading into the All-Star break despite being undermanned. Starting center Myles Turner and sixth man Bennedict Mathurin both missed Wednesday's game due to illness, backup big man Jalen Smith was out for a third straight game due to back spasms, and starting wing Aaron Nesmith exited early in the third quarter with a shin injury.

"(The Raptors) came out with a lot of energy," Siakam said. "They played well. Just proud of the guys for staying with it. Nobody was panicking, just continuing to execute the game plan and at the end we were (able) to get more stops and we got the win."

After the emotional pregame tribute, the Raptors dominated the early minutes of Wednesday's contest. RJ Barrett scored nine early points to propel the hosts to a 21-10 lead as the first quarter hit its midway point.

Haliburton did his best to bring the Pacers back, as the All-Star guard hit three 3-pointers in a two-minute span. The Blue & Gold then briefly tied the game at 24 on Doug McDermott's putback layup with 2:41 remaining in the opening frame.

But the Raptors responded with six unanswered points and took a 35-31 lead into the second quarter.

Toronto remained in front in the ensuing frame thanks in large part to former Pacer Bruce Brown, who was sent to the Raptors as part of the Siakam trade. Brown scored 10 points in the first 5:19 of the second quarter.

The Blue & Gold managed to cut the deficit to one with 2:41 remaining in the half following Haliburton's fourth three of the evening, but the Raptors reeled off nine straight points to ensure they would take a lead into the break.

Toronto led 71-65 at the intermission, but the Pacers mounted a charge right out of the gates at halftime.

Nesmith knocked down a three on the opening possession of the half, but injured his shin on Indiana's next possession, landing awkwardly after missing a dunk attempt.

Nesmith was helped to the locker room, but Siakam kept the Pacers on track in his absence. The former Raptor scored seven straight points to give Indiana its first lead of the night at 77-75 with 9:24 remaining in the third quarter.

It was a back-and-forth quarter that featured five ties and eight lead changes before the Raptors reasserted control with a 10-0 run late in the frame. Toronto led by eight with just over two minutes remaining, but the Pacers once again came roaring back. Obi Toppin converted a three-point play with 26.9 seconds left in the frame, then raced ahead after a miss and converted a layup 0.6 seconds before the buzzer to make it a 103-101 game entering the fourth quarter.

The Raptors maintained a narrow lead for the first six minutes of the final frame. Andrew Nembhard hit one of two free throws with 5:44 remaining to tie the game at 115.

Chris Boucher's putback layup on the other end put Toronto back in front, but

Sheppard hit a three with 5:07 remaining to give Indiana the lead.

The Raptors moved ahead on Scottie Barnes' hook shot with 4:16 remaining. On the other end, Toronto doubled Siakam, leaving Haliburton wide open on the right wing for a go-ahead three.

Immanuel Quickley tied the game at 121 with 3:41 to play, only for Siakam to answer with a midrange jumper to put the Pacers back in front. After the Pacers came up with a steal, Siakam drew a foul and made one of two free throws to stretch the margin to three with 2:45 remaining.

The Raptors had several chances to tie or cut into the lead over the next minute and a half, coming up with three offensive rebounds but missing four shots and two free throw attempts.

Barnes hit a long jumper with his foot on the 3-point line with at the one-minute mark to cut the deficit to 124-123. On the other end, Barnes blocked Jackson's dunk attempt, then had a chance to put the Raptors in front but couldn't convert a contested layup.

Siakam took advantage, driving left and converting a tough right-handed shot on the other end to give the Pacers a small cushion.

After a timeout, Barnes missed a potential tying three. Jakob Poeltl corralled the offensive rebound, however, and was fouled by Sheppard. Poeltl made both free throws to make it a one-point game once again with 14.7 seconds remaining.

Toronto fouled Jackson with 9.5 seconds to play. The third-year big man hit the first, but missed the second.

The Raptors put the ball in Barrett's hands. With Sheppard on him, Barrett tried to post up on the left side, but Sheppard stood his ground, forcing a contested fadeaway jumper that bounced off the back iron and into the arms of Nembhard as the buzzer sounded.

"Just being ready, moving my feet, trying not to foul," Sheppard said of the final sequence. "I have confidence in my defensive ability."

Toppin finished with 15 points, five rebounds, two blocks, and two steals off the bench in the victory. Fellow reserve McDermott added 13 points in his third game back with the franchise he originally played for from 2018-21, going 5-for-12 from the field and 3-for-9 from beyond the arc. Nembhard registered 14 points, five assists, and two steals.

Barnes, a first-time All-Star this season, led all scorers with 29 points and narrowly missed out on a triple-double, finishing with 12 rebounds and eight assists. Barrett added 23 points and nine boards, Poeltl tallied 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Quickley collected 14 points, six boards, and seven assists.

Brown scored all 12 of his points off the bench in the first half, while Boucher added 10 for Toronto.

The focus will now shift to NBA All-Star 2024, as Indianapolis hosts the NBA's signature weekend for the first time since 1985. Haliburton is set to start the All-Star Game and compete in the 3-Point Contest. He will also team up with Mathurin and Turner in the Skills Challenge on Saturday night, while Mathurin and rookie center Oscar Tshiebwe will take part in the Rising Stars event on Friday.

The Pacers return to action after the break on Thursday, Feb. 22, when they tip off a four-game homestand.

Siakam topped 20 points for the eighth time in 15 games as a Pacer.

Haliburton recorded his 31st double-double of the season. He ranks second among all NBA guards in double-doubles, trailing only Atlanta's Trae Young (35).

The Pacers found a way to win despite being outscored 84-54 in the paint. Toronto's 84 points in the paint matched the most by a Pacers opponent this season, tying Phoenix's total on Jan. 26.

Indiana had a distinct advantage from 3-point range. The Pacers went 17-for-41 (41.5 percent) from beyond the arc, while Toronto was just 6-for-26 (23.1 percent). Haliburton nearly matched the Raptors by himself, going 5-for-9 from distance.

Jackson matched his season high by blocking four shots for the third time this season.

Sheppard reached double figures in scoring for the first time in his 33rd career game.

McDermott had gone scoreless in his first two games since returning to Indiana, going 0-for-5 from 3-point range over that span, but broke through with a 13-point performance on Wednesday.

"I thought we just dug in and did enough to win the game. Got stops when we needed to, made shots when we needed to. Especially coming off such a disappointing loss (on Monday) against Charlotte, we just wanted to go into All-Star break feeling good...Now everybody can hopefully reset mentally and be ready to go when we get back to close the season right." -Haliburton on the victory

"I love that. We've been on him a little bit. He came out and responded. Guys are out. I'm proud of Ben...He works hard. I see him every day. He's just a good kid. I love when good things happen to good people. He played his (tail) off today." -Siakam on Sheppard coming up big in the fourth quarter

"He had big minutes for us, chipped in offensively and defensively, that's just who he is. I think it's obvious that we have a lot of faith in him (with) the minutes he's been getting. So when guys go out, we just have a deep bench that can be ready at all times. I thought he contributed in many different ways tonight. I'm proud of him." -Haliburton on Sheppard

"I'm just happy to be on this team. I want to give everything I have. We're still figuring out each other. I think that the sky's the limit for us." -Siakam on fitting in with the Pacers

After a sluggish first half, Siakam scored 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting and dished out four assists in the second half to lead the Pacers to a come-from-behind victory.

After the All-Star break, the Pacers will open the second half of the season at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>