Game Preview: Pacers at Raptors

The Pacers (33-38) have one final tuneup on Sunday afternoon before a do-or-die Play-In game on Tuesday. Indiana will close out a surreal 2020-21 regular season in a surreal setting: in Tampa, Florida against the Toronto Raptors (27-44). The Raptors have operated out of Tampa this season due to Canada's COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The Pacers' fate for the new Play-In Tournament was partially sealed by their 122-115 loss to the Lakers on Saturday. Indiana will need to win two straight games to reach the playoffs, beginning with a loser-goes-home matchup between the ninth and 10th seed.

Indiana's seed and opponent will be determined by two different games. The Pacers have control over their seeding. With a win on Sunday, the Blue & Gold would secure the ninth seed and host their first Play-In game. A loss, on the other hand, would mean that the Pacers are the 10th seed and must win twice on the road to reach the playoffs.

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The Pacers' Play-In opponent will be determined by Sunday's game between Charlotte and Washington. The winner of that contest will secure the eighth seed and play seventh-seeded Boston, while the loser will take on the Pacers in the 9/10 game.

It has been a disappointing season for the Raptors, who were eliminated last week and have scuffled to the finish line. Toronto has dropped six straight and nine of its last 10 and has effectively shut down most of its top player. Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and OG Anunoby, among others, have already been ruled out for Sunday's season finale.

Caris LeVert

Justin Holiday

Doug McDermott

Oshae Brissett

Goga Bitadze

Malachi Flynn

Jalen Harris

Stanley Johnson

Freddie Gillespie

Khem Birch

Pacers: PG - Caris LeVert, SG - Justin Holiday, SF - Doug McDermott, PF - Oshae Brissett, C - Goga Bitadze
Raptors: PG - Malachi Flynn, SG - Jalen Harris, SF - Stanley Johnson, PF - Freddie Gillespie, C - Khem Birch

Pacers: Malcolm Brogdon - questionable (sore right hamstring), Aaron Holiday - questionable (right great toe sprain), Caris LeVert - questionable (bruised right knee), Domantas Sabonis - questionable (bruised left quad), Jeremy Lamb - out (sore left knee), Edmond Sumner - out (left knee contusion), Myles Turner - out (partial plantar plate tear, right foot great toe), T.J. Warren - out (left foot stress fracture)

Raptors: OG Anunoby - out (left calf strain injury recovery), Rodney Hood - out (fractured left hand), Kyle Lowry - out (rest), Pascal Siakam - out (strained left shoulder), Fred VanVleet - out (left hip flexor injury recovery), Yuta Watanabe - out (sore right ankle), Paul Watson - out (left knee tendinitis)

Jan. 25, 2021: Malcolm Brogdon bounced back from a subpar performance with one of the best outings of his career, leading Indiana to a 129-114 win over Toronto at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in the second half of a back-to-back set.

Brogdon set a new career high with 36 points, going 10-for-17 from the field, 3-for-5 from 3-point range, and 13-for-14 from the free throw line while also grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out nine assists. The performance came one night after he had a season-low 12 points on 5-of-22 shooting (1-of-10 from 3-point range) with four turnovers, including a crucial giveaway in the final minute in a 117-112 loss to the Raptors.

"Honestly, I was pretty angry after last game," Brogdon said. "I was incredibly locked in for today's game. I really wanted to make a point.

"It drove me crazy last night and this morning until I got back on that court. Back-to-back or not, tired or not, I was ready to give it my all tonight."

Jeremy Lamb, playing just his fourth game and his first back-to-back after an 11-month absence after tearing the ACL in his left knee, added 22 points and seven rebounds off the bench, going 7-for-12 from the field, 3-for-6 from beyond the arc, and 5-for-5 from the charity stripe.

Fred VanVleet had a team-high 25 points to go along with four rebounds and six assists for Toronto, while Norman Powell added 24 points, six rebounds, and six assists.

TV: Bally Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (studio host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (studio host)