2015-16 Game Rewind

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With under three minutes remaining in the game, Monta Ellis followed up a thundering Solomon Hill transition dunk with a crowd-silencing 3-pointer to cut the Pacers' deficit to just three points. The Pacers had entered the quarter trailing by 14.

But on the other end, Kyle Lowry converted a layup to give the Raptors breathing room again, as second-seeded Raptors — pushed to the brink in a winner-take-all Game 7 — managed to overpower the Pacers, winning the game 89-84 and ending Indiana's season in Canada.

"They played a great game and got a lead," Monta Ellis said after the game. "It's hard trying to fight back against a team like that. We were doing it but came up short. It was a great game."

After Paul George sunk two free throws to bring the score to 87-84, the Pacers regained control of a Toronto miss, giving them possession with 26.9 seconds remaining in the game and a chance to tie. But a PG miss was corralled by DeMar DeRozan, who ran the clock down to 6.5 seconds and made it a two-possession game by hitting on a pair of free throws, ending the hopes of a Pacers comeback.

There was reason to believe the Pacers could become just the sixth seventh seed to upset a second seed in the first round, but in front of the deafening roar of the Air Canada Centre crowd, the Pacers were outscored in every quarter but the fourth, trailing by five after one, six at the half, and 14 entering the fourth and final quarter of their season.

George started the night with his usual level of Playoff excellence, scoring 17 in the first half. But he was kept in check for the most part in the second half, adding nine points to his team-high 26 points.

"He went on there and competed," Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said of George. "I couldn't be more proud of our guys and how far we've come this year."

In the fourth quarter, with the light of a comeback dimming, the Pacers dug in. After George hit a pair of free throws with six minutes left to cut their deficit to 12, PG did it again, hitting a floater to bring the score to 83-73, where the Pacers made their impressive final run.

But the Raptors' lead proved to be too tall a task. Despite several key turnovers forced by the Pacers down the stretch, Toronto was able to do enough to stay in control of the game, setting them up for a second-round matchup with the Miami Heat.

George started the game roaring on offense, making his first three shots and finishing the opening quarter with 12 points, including a 360-dunk in transition.

But it was the Raptors who had control in the early going, leading by five in the opening minutes before George and Ellis provided a spark, leading Indiana to its first lead of the game, 21-20.

George wasn't the only player in an early groove on offense. His counterpart on the Raps, DeRozan, quickly racked up 13 points, tallying five buckets in the first quarter as the Raptors built a 28-23 lead. DeRozan finished the night with a game-high 30 points.

The Pacers started the second quarter off well, taking the lead for the second time when Rodney Stuckey drilled an open three from the wing, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Raptors rookie Norman Powell put Indiana down 36-32, forcing a Frank Vogel timeout.

Toronto continued to flow even after the timeout, finishing off an 8-1 run with a Cory Joseph jumper, two of his six points off the bench in the first half. Powell also provided a boost for Toronto, coming off the pine to add 10 points in the early going.

But the Pacers continued to bite into the Raptors' lead — which got as high as eight in the half — as George Hill scored with a jumper and a floating layup on consecutive possessions.

George Hill's play was incisive all night, finding space to shoot and hitting on 8-of-11 shots, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, to rack up 19 points on the evening.

But to close the half, Jonas Valanciunas sunk two free throws to put the Raptors up 50-44, with the Pacers needing a comeback in the final two quarters to knock off Toronto.

In the third, the teams exchanged runs frequently, but the Raptors got in the first punch. Leading by six to open up the half, Toronto fired out of the locker room with a 8-2 run, going up by 15 when Patrick Patterson drilled a 3-pointer to send the home crowd into bedlam.

But the Pacers quickly rallied back, using an 11-2 run which featured eight points at the rim as Indiana attacked the paint. But the Raptors, sensing their lead shrink, broke off an 8-0 run, which was then countered by a 5-0 Pacers spurt. Then DeRozan responded, scoring six unanswered Raptors points to put Toronto comfortably in the driver's seat entering the fourth. DeRozan fired away all night, going 10-of-32 from the field but making all nine of his free throws as the Raptors edged the Pacers closer to the end of their year.

With their season hanging in the balance, Indiana held the Raptors scoreless for the first four minutes of the fourth quarter, however, the Blue & Gold was only able to get three points on the board during that window, narrowing its deficit to 11 with 8:30 remaining.

From there, Indiana winnowed it down to just three points in the final three minutes, but Toronto's 49-38 rebounding advantage, coupled with 15 Pacers turnovers, proved to be the advantage the Raptors needed to capture their first Playoff series win since 2001, and send Indiana into the offseason.

But even after the loss, an optimistic Vogel sat at the podium.

"We have a complete team, and our guys played well and (Paul George) played well," he told the room of reporters. "We have to continue to grow, continue to build."

The Raptors were able to get to the free throw line 17 times, compared to just eight trips for Indiana.

The Pacers had been 3-0 this series when holding the Raptors to under 40 percent shooting as a team. But Toronto was still able to get the win despite shooting 38.2 percent.

Rookie Norman Powell was huge for the Raptors, going 5-of-6 from the field for 13 points.

Toronto outrebounded the Pacers 49-38. Paul George had a team-high 12 rebounds.

"I will say this, they are a tough team. That young man Myles Turner is going to be a player and I want to congratulate them because Frank (Vogel) did a heck of a job. They made adjustments, we made adjustments, that team right there is a big-time team. Paul George is back." -Raptors head coach Dwane Casey

"Credit (the Raptors') defense, they played really well, they played so hard and they are so well prepared. It's not going to be easy when you're competing on the road. We had a couple of turnovers late that were problematic but I thought out guys tried to run, tried to make the extra pass, tried to play the right way and put ourselves in a position with the ball down three in Game 7 on the road." -Pacers head coach Frank Vogel

"We were desperate, you have to leave it all out there on the court. We knew we just had to run, no more play calling, no more wasting time. As soon as Paul (George) got the rebound we were looking to go." -Solomon Hill

"I felt like we played well all series besides a couple of games. Giving one up in Game 5 really hurt us. The fight and effort the guys showed in the fourth quarter being down 16 points to make it a one possession game and gave ourselves a chance to win, it just shows the heart we have in this locker room." -George Hill

Frustratingly, the Pacers had an edge in some of the stats that would normally lead to a win. Indiana shot 46.6 percent to Toronto's 38.2. The Pacers connected on nearly 50 percent of their 3-pointers while the Raptors hit on 33.3 percent. However, Toronto manufactured extra possessions by hitting the offensive glass to the tune of 18-5, and made six more free throws.

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Game Rewind: Pacers 84, Raptors 89 (Game 7)

Wheat Hotchkiss

The Indiana Pacers rallied from a first-half deficit, seized control with an 18-0 run over the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters, and cruised to a 101-83 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 6 of their best-of-seven First Round series on Friday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The two teams will meet once again on Sunday in Toronto for a winner-take-all Game 7.

Indiana outscored Toronto 61-39 after halftime to rack up the biggest margin of victory in the entire series. All five starters scored in double figures for the Pacers and just as importantly, the bench combined for 27 points in what was a complete team effort.

"We were looking for a game like that the whole series," Pacers center Ian Mahinmi said after the win. "We were looking for the starting five to get going at the same time and then the bench to come in and get going, too. I'm glad it came at the biggest time of the year."

The end result didn't seem likely early after the Pacers got off to a slow start, making just two of their first 15 shots as Toronto jumped out to an early 18-6 lead.

But Indiana eventually found a rhythm with Mahinmi scoring in the paint and Solomon Hill knocking down a couple threes off the bench. Indiana scored the final nine points of the first quarter to cut the Raptors' lead to two points.

PLAYOFF CENTRAL: See more from the 2016 Playoffs at Pacers.com/Playoffs »

The Blue & Gold briefly tied the game at 30 on Myles Turner's tip-in with 6:45 left in the second quarter, but the Raptors quickly responded with a 10-2 run.

Once again, the Pacers closed the quarter strong, cutting an eight-point deficit in half before the halftime buzzer sounded.

The hosts finally moved in front in the third quarter, thanks in large part to the starting backcourt of George Hill and Monta Ellis, who combined for 19 points in the period. Hill scored five points from the field and five more from the foul line, while Ellis scored nine points on 4-of-5 shooting.

The Pacers closed the third quarter by reeling off six straight points to open up a seven-point lead, but they really put the game away in the opening minutes of the fourth.

Paul George opened the period with a reverse layup on the very first possession. After a Kyle Lowry turnover, Turner knocked down a jumper. Then, Rodney Stuckey stole the ball from Norman Powell and found George for a breakaway dunk, forcing a timeout from Raptors head coach Dwane Casey.

Things only got better from there for the Blue & Gold. Stuckey — much-maligned after a poor showing in the fourth quarter of Game 5 — knocked down an open three on the next Pacers possession. And after a Lowry miss, Stuckey got the ball in the right corner, got Cory Joseph to bite on a vicious ball fake, drove along the baseline, and dished to Myles Turner for a layup plus the foul.

The play sent the crowd into hysterics and even had the victorious locker room buzzing. Paul George replayed the video of the move on his phone and then joked with Stuckey about his penchant for ball fakes. The night was a vindication of sorts for Stuckey, though the Pacers' sixth man insisted he was able to quickly move on after Tuesday's loss.

"After Game 5, I forgot about it," Stuckey said. "...I don't reminisce about what I did, a missed shot, no. Game 5 is over and you move on."

Turner's free throw capped 18 unanswered points from the Pacers in just a 2:46 span, putting the game away for good.

The rest of the night was a celebration for the sellout crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, which erupted on several occasions, be they emphatic rejections by Turner, Solomon Hill's 3-pointer that pushed the lead over 20 points, or Stuckey's three a short while later while falling into the Raptors' bench.

"This was one of the most exciting games I've ever played in," Turner said. "I know it feels like I say that every game, but the crowd was into it from the beginning and it was an exciting game, although we got off to a rough start, we were able to come back...It was an incredible experience."

George, playing extended minutes in a do-or-die game, led all scorers with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. The All-Star forward was also a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line.

Turner added 15 points, nine boards, and four blocks. Ellis scored nine of his 14 points in the third quarter and dished out five assists. Hill and Mahinmi each added 12 points in the victory.

"That's what we talked about all along," Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said about the balanced effort. "Paul George can't beat the Raptors (by himself). The Pacers have to beat the Raptors. We need everybody and we got really solid contributions from almost everybody that played."

Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll and guard Cory Joseph each had 15 points to lead Toronto. Jonas Valanciunas added 14 points and nine rebounds.

Toronto's All-Star backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined for just 18 points on 7-of-27 shooting. The duo also had eight of the Raptors' 17 turnovers, though Lowry did dish out 10 assists.

Game 7 will be at 8:00 PM on Sunday in Toronto and will be televised nationally on TNT.

The Pacers outrebounded Toronto 44-40 overall and 23-12 in the second half.

Indiana forced 10 of the Raptors' 17 turnovers over the final two quarters, including six in the fourth.

Stuckey scored all eight of his points after halftime. His eight points were the most he had scored in a game this postseason and his most in any playoff game since March 26, 2009 (Stuckey's teams failed to reach the playoffs in the six seasons between).

The Pacers were 23-of-26 from the free throw line (88.5 percent), while Toronto was just 16-for-25 (64 percent).

All five Pacers starters had a positive plus-minus and four of the five were +14 or better, but the Pacers' best two ratings belonged to Solomon Hill (+32) and Stuckey (+29).

"I thought my job tonight was just to be a threat, put pressure on them, move the ball, pick them apart with passes, try to get them to shift. My teammates, they were the ones that really did the damage tonight. I had plays here and there, but they were the ones that did most of the damage." -George

"We just had to get through it, stay confident, stay poised. We knew they got a lot of good looks early and we needed to take those away. We have to make it tough on them, get into them, make them work, get them tired by us bodying up on them." -George Hill on what changed during the second half

"I know he was very disappointed in how he played last game and took some heat for it that I think was unfair. He's been good for us all year. I'm happy to see him respond." -Vogel on Stuckey

"It's do or die. We have to go in there and win or go home. We have to bring the same mindset as we had tonight. It's incredible for this to be my rookie year and to be able to experience all of this right now." -Turner on Game 7

"Our compet(itive) level was low for whatever reason. I thought we let our lack of offensive execution, our shot making, carry over to the defensive end." -Raptors head coach Dwane Casey

"They came out and they were the more aggressive team. We came out kind of lackadaisical. We weren't playing like we did in the first half. We've got to learn from it. It was the tale of two halves." -Carroll

The Pacers shot 63.6 percent from the field after halftime, going 21-for-33.

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Game Rewind: Pacers 101, Raptors 83 (Game 6)

After leading by 13 points to open the fourth quarter — and by as much as 17 in the game — the Pacers fell victim to a 21-2 run to open the fourth quarter as Norman Powell tied it up at 92 on a slam that sent the crowd at the Air Canada Centre to a deafening roar. From there, the Raptors hit back-to-back unanswered threes to go up by six, going on to win the Game 5 102-99 and putting the Pacers behind 3-2 in the series, fighting for their postseason lives.

Despite the heroics of Paul George, who poured in 39 points and nearly broke the franchise postseason record of 41 points (hit twice by Reggie Miller), the Pacers couldn't unmoor themselves from their poor start to the final quarter as the Raptors held Indiana just just nine points over the final 12 minutes.

After Cory Joseph's 3-pointer that put the Raptors up 98-92 with 2:54 left, the Pacers looked to regroup. At that point in time, Indiana was being outscored 21-2 in the quarter until George hit a layup to cut to the deficit to four.

Montieth: Pacers Will Have to Rely on Their History »

Indiana had a chance to rebound a loose ball with just under a minute remaining and trailing by four, but the Raptors got the offensive rebound and reset the shot clock, dimming the hopes of a Pacers comeback.

But just when things looked finished, Solomon Hill buried a corner three to bring the Pacers' deficit to just one, as Indiana sent DeMar DeRozan to the line, who extended the Raptors' lead back to three, but giving Indiana 13.9 seconds to tie things up.

After a loose ball was declared out of bounds on the Raptors, the Pacers had just 2.7 seconds left to tie the game and nearly did when Solomon Hill looked like he drilled a game-tying three. But the refs deemed it was too late, and the replay confirmed that the ball was still in Hill's hand when the buzzer sounded, sending the Pacers to a tough-to-swallow loss in Toronto.

"All we said all game long when we had the lead is it’s a 48-minute game," Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said. "You can’t get caught up on 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, just fell short, remain confident and come back and get Game 6."

In the first half, the Pacers used a 15-2 run in the first quarter to build a 17-point lead. In the second quarter, the Pacers weathered blitz from the Raptors' bench unit, and used a late 10-2 Pacers run in the second to help stabilize a nine-point lead over the Raptors at halftime.

George was on fire from the start, finishing the half with a game-high 22 points and five assists; which was just one fewer than the Raptors had as a team through two quarters.

The Pacers' only serious misstep in the opening half occurred when George was on the bench to start the second quarter. DeMar DeRozan, who had been struggling in the first four games of the series, scored three unanswered buckets to help spark a 12-1 Raptors run. In the second quarter, the Raptors outscored Indiana by six to get their deficit down to nine at halftime.

Outside of DeRozan, the Raptors didn't have much in the way of offense. Conversely, the Pacers had plenty of help, with George Hill scoring 15 in the first half and Myles Turner adding 10.

In the third, George continued to roll, at one point scoring nine consecutive Pacers points to trade buckets with DeRozan, who erupted with 34 points in the game.

By the time the third quarter buzzer sounded, Paul George had hung 37 points and seven assists on the Raptors, as Indiana outscored Toronto 29-25 in the frame to carry a 13-point lead into the final quarter of action.

But from there, the Raptors went on their 21-2 run, sealing the game in favor of the home team, and sending Indiana back home facing elimination in Game 6 on Friday night.

"We didn’t make enough plays," Pacers forward Paul George said. "That is what it came down to in the fourth quarter. We have to put this (game) away. Friday is a new day and we have to get a win."

Paul George had Indiana's best +/- rating on the night, finishing +15.

The Pacers shot 11-for-17 from 3-point range in the first half, but shot 2-for-12 from beyond the arc in the second half.

Myles Turner had three more blocks tonight, giving him 15 for the series.

Paul George scored 39 points (tying his playoff career-high) on 11-of-19 shooting, including 5-of-11 from beyond the arc. He was a perfect 12-of-12 from the charity stripe.

"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." - Paul George

"We trust and believe in one another. The way we played basketball in the first half, the way we played basketball the whole game is a testament to how we play. We believe that we can beat this team, we know it. Little things didn’t go our way but we are going back to Indiana and we keep the same type of intensity and focus that we had when we were there and when we were here for 42 minutes and I believe we can pull out the best game." - Solomon Hill

"We had a mindset going into the second half knowing that we didn't do a very good job in the first half.  We had to find a way to get back into the game. More than anything we just stayed with the game and we kept playing hard each and every possession, and trusting each other and at the end of the day we are very thankful we got the win." - Toronto's Bismack Biyombo

"Obviously you have to play until the final buzzer and I felt like we did that well today, especially in the fourth quarter. We picked up the intensity and we were able to play some defense." - Toronto's Cory Joseph

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Game Rewind: Pacers 99, Raptors 102 (Game 5)

After a lackluster performance in their Game 3 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night, Pacers forward Solomon Hill bemoaned Indiana's inability to strike first over the first three games of the series.

"We're not coming out swinging," the third-year forward told reporters after the loss.

Well, the Pacers came out throwing a flurry of haymakers that would make Muhammad Ali smile in Game 4 on Saturday afternoon. For the first time all series, Indiana jumped out to an early lead and held on wire-to-wire for a 100-83 win.

The best-of-seven series is now tied at 2-2 with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday night in Toronto. Regardless of that outcome, Game 6 will now be necessary and take place at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday, April 29.

Leading the charge for the Pacers were a pair of somewhat surprising candidates, as George Hill and Ian Mahinmi each scored 22 points to lead all scorers.

MONTIETH: Mahinmi, Hill Emerge in Balanced Offense »

"With this group everybody has to be an option for us, offensive threats, and tonight they were, which made us explode offensively," said Pacers forward Paul George, who had led the team in scoring in each of the first three games.

Hill — who hadn't topped 13 points in any of the first three games of the series — went 9-for-11 from the field and also collected four rebounds and three assists.

Mahinmi, meanwhile, scored 20 points for the first time ever in his eight-year career. Despite battling a lower back strain, the fashionable Frenchman went 9-for-14 from the field and tallied 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block.

"I can't take credit for this today," Mahinmi said. "Most of my shots were dunks and shots under the rim where I just had to go up dunk it.

"Today, my teammates really, really did an awesome job of finding me. It was a total team effort."

History says that teams that fall behind 3-1 virtually never come back to win the series, so the Pacers knew they needed to put together a strong performance in Game 4. They could hardly have scripted a better start.

Indiana won the opening tip and George Hill buried a 3-pointer from the right corner on the game's first possession, sending the capacity crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse into an early frenzy.

"We've been talking about if I get that opportunity to let it fly," Hill said. "That's all I tried to do was start the game off right."

The Pacers scored the first seven points of the afternoon and kept their feet on the gas pedal. They stretched their lead to double digits in the closing minutes of the first quarter, when Paul George, Hill, and Monta Ellis each took turns hitting a three.

"Right from the start, from the first quarter, we were playing for each other," Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said after the win. "Everybody with the basketball was thinking pass and everybody else was thinking about spacing and cutting and being aggressive. We did a much better job sharing and protecting it."

But as good as the Pacers' offense was in the early going, their defense was even better. Hounding the Raptors with relentless pressure, the hosts forced five turnovers in the opening quarter (leading to seven points on the other end) and held Toronto to 6-of-17 shooting through the first 12 minutes.

There was no let-up when the Pacers turned to their bench. The second unit was just as relentless with their defensive pressure and even more aggressive in attacking the basket.

The Pacers got to the basket with great frequency during a 16-4 run that gave them a 53-28 lead with 3:26 to play in the first half. The Raptors were able to shave 10 points off that deficit before halftime, but it was still a great half for Indiana.

The Pacers shot 56.1 percent over the first two quarters while holding Toronto to a 43.2 percent clip. They also forced Toronto into 11 turnovers and only committed four themselves.

"All season long, once we trust one another and move the ball from side-to-side and make good passes and believe in each other, we're a hard team to beat," Hill said.

Indiana's offense stalled in the third quarter, as the Pacers made just 6-of-21 shots, but the Raptors were unable to take advantage of the slump. Toronto went just 1-for-11 from 3-point range in the period and committed six more turnovers. Pacers forward C.J. Miles tipped in a miss at the buzzer to allow the Pacers to maintain their 15-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Raptors cut the deficit to 12 points with 8:47 remaining in the final frame, but the Pacers responded with an 11-4 surge that closed out the victory.

Paul George joined Hill and Mahinmi in double figures in the victory, finishing the night with 19 points, four rebounds, and two assists.

"This is how I wanted us to respond to the Game 3 loss," George said. "I thought we were very attentive and focused on evening the series up."

Jonas Valanciunas led Toronto with 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting and six rebounds. All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry had 12 points and five assists, but fouled out in the fourth quarter. Fellow All-Star DeMar DeRozan managed just eight points on 4-of-15 shooting while also committing six turnovers.

Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday, April 26 in Toronto. The game will tip off at 6:00, 7:00, or 8:00 PM and air on either NBA TV or TNT. The time and channel for Game 5 will not be finalized until Sunday night.

Mahinmi's double-double was his first ever in the postseason. His five assists were more than he had dished out in any game all season.

The Pacers scored 25 points off of 19 Raptors turnovers. They had scored 25 points off of 20 turnovers in their Game 1 win in Toronto.

For the first time all series, Indiana outrebounded Toronto overall and on the offensive glass. The Pacers won the battle of the boards, 43-40, and had 15 offensive rebounds to the Raptors' 11.

Rookie forward Myles Turner started for the first time this series, replacing Lavoy Allen at power forward. Turner finished with just four points on 2-of-13 shooting, but he did collect seven rebounds (three offensive) and block two shots in just under 27 minutes.

DeRozan and Lowry went a combined 8-for-27 from the field and have a collective field goal percentage of just .308 through the first four games of the series.

"Guys like me and George Hill, we play our best when the ball moves like that. I can say this was really a team effort." -Mahinmi

"We have to trust in what we have been doing. It is hard to guard us in the open court and when we're sharing the ball and making shots. We have to approach the game like it's our last." -Pacers guard Monta Ellis

"I thought we came out with an aggressive mindset. Last game I thought we were lackadaisical. So this game we wanted to get off to a good start." -Turner

"We talked about it before the game. We knew their backs were against the wall and would come out swinging. We didn't respond in the proper way." -Raptors head coach Dwane Casey

"It's hard to win two times on the road. We did it once and that was all we needed to do. Now we're going back home hoping for a completely different performance." -Raptors forward Luis Scola

Ian Mahinmi had played 438 regular season games and 52 playoff games in his career before Saturday. He had never scored 20 points before Game 4. In fact, Saturday's game was only the second time he ever scored 10 points in a playoff game (he had exactly 10 points while playing for the Dallas Mavericks against Oklahoma City on May 5, 2012).

Hill and Mahinmi combined for 44 points on Saturday after accumulating just 40 total points in the first three games of the series.

The Pacers head to Toronto for Game 5 on Tuesday, April 26 (time TBD). They will host Game 6 on Friday, April 29 (time also TBD): Find Tickets »

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Game Rewind: Pacers 100, Raptors 83 (Game 4)

The Pacers got their deficit down to just 12 after Myles Turner hit a jumper in the fourth quarter, but Toronto responded in force, sinking 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to go up by 18, and going on to defeat Indiana 101-85 in Game 3 of the Round 1 matchup to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

After trailing by 23 in the second quarter, a Pacers comeback was a tall order. Although they made their run in the fourth and outscored the Raptors 23-18 in the third, Toronto's stars, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, each found their touch after being kept in check for the first two games of the series.

DeRozan did most of his damage in the first half, scoring 16 of his 21 points in the first 24 minutes. Lowry tacked on 21 points of his own, while passing out a game-high eight dimes.

Paul George, who led the NBA in Playoff scoring with 30.5 per game entering the matchup, never found his touch, hitting on 6-of-19 shots, sinking 12-of-12 from the free throw line, and finishing the night with 25 points.

The Raptors' high intensity defense caused problems for Indiana from the start, holding the Pacers to their season-low points in the first half (36) and forcing 11 turnovers early on.

"Once again, it's a playoff series and we are giving the other team that good start and we are playing uphill," Solomon Hill told a group of reporters after the game. "We're not coming out aggressive. We're not coming out swinging. That's nothing against the starters, but I think we can all do better."

Midway through the opening quarter, the Raptors went on a 9-2, then outscored the Pacers by 10 in the second quarter.

The Pacers tried to gain their footing to mount a run, but the Raptors were relentless, leading by as much as 23 in the second quarter.

But out of the locker room, Pacers head coach Frank Vogel decided to switch things up, inserting Myles Turner alongside Ian Mahinmi. Things started to click for Indiana when Turner was the lone big on the floor and flanked by Solomon Hill at power forward. That unit helped cut down on their deficit, outscoring the Raptors by five in the third quarter, and putting the total at 71-59 entering the final 12 minutes.

"We'll consider everything," Vogel said of Turner. "I don't know what our lineup will look like next game. We'll watch tape and evaluate. I thought he had good energy and good confidence about him. We were down 17 so we were going to try something different."

With every bucket, the Gold Out crowd grew louder, sensing a possible comeback.

But when Lowry and DeMarre Carroll drilled 3-pointers on back-to-back plays, it marked the end of the Pacers' comeback bid, with Indiana trailing by 18 midway through the fourth.

Toronto head coach Dwane Casey elected to use the same starting lineup as Game 2, with DeMarre Carroll starting instead of rookie Norman Powell, and the switch paid dividends. With Carroll checking Paul George, DeRozan was able to find more space on offense and not overly exert himself on defense, opening up the floor for the Raptors' offense.

The loss sets the Pacers back 2-1 in the series, and gives control of homecourt advantage back to the second-seeded Raptors.

"It's very disappointing," said George Hill after the game. "We didn't take care of our responsibilities. We didn't do a good job. We had unforced errors, they forced a couple.  We've got to do better. All we can do is watch film tomorrow. It's definitely disappointing. We let our fans down. They did a good job of coming out tonight and supporting us."

Myles Turner had his best Playoff game as a pro, scoring 17 points off the bench and pulling down eight rebounds on 7-of-12 shooting.

Jonas Valanciunas continued his rebounding spree. After pulling down 19 in Game 1 and 15 in Game 2, Valanciunas hauled in 14 rebounds on Thursday night.

The Pacers shot 38 percent from the field and hit on 6-of-22 3-point attempts.

Even though Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan got it going offensively, they still had difficult shooting nights. Lowry was 8-of-21 and DeRozan was 7-of-19.

Paul George was 1-of-8 from beyond the arc.

"They outplayed us. They just outplayed us in most areas. We turned the ball over too much. You just have to give them credit." -Frank Vogel

"I like the activity, our intensity and our approach. I think it just set the tone for the entire game. We got some silly fouls, I thought. We have to get away from touch fouls. That really put them in the penalty early. We have to stay away from that, but I liked our intensity. I liked our effort on attention to detail, on the defensive end." -Raptors coach Dwane Casey

"We didn't do our job. We didn't take care of business on our home court. We have to stay positive. We still have a chance to even this at 2-2." -Paul George

"Paul George is a great player. I think the most important thing was to keep him off the free throw line. He still shot 12 free throws tonight, but we tried not to let him get the feel for his shot. If he does get the feel for his shot, he's a beast. I think we just need to keep being physical with him and it's going to take a collective effort." -DeMarre Carroll

Even though the Raptors shot just 41.5 percent from the field, they had 26 more field goal attempts than the Pacers. The extra possessions occurred on turnovers (IND: 16, TOR: 11) and offensive rebounds (IND: 9, TOR: 15).

The Pacers look to even the series with the Raptors on Saturday, April 23 at 3 PM: Find Tickets »

Select Playoff Tee - $13. Game Night Specials can be purchased in the Home Court Gift Shop or any of our souvenir stands located on all levels of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The special is also available online at PacersGear.com until midnight.

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Game Rewind: Pacers 85, Raptors 101 (Game 3)

After knocking off the second-seeded Raptors in Game 1 of their best-of-seven playoff series on Saturday, the Pacers knew the Raptors would play with added desperation in Game 2. Toronto did just that on Monday night, jumping out to an 18-point lead in the first half and then pulling away in the fourth quarter to even the series with a 98-87 home victory.

The series now shifts to Indianapolis, where the seventh-seeded Pacers will host Game 3 on Thursday evening and Game 4 on Saturday afternoon.

The Pacers trailed by eight points entering the fourth quarter, but Toronto put together a 13-2 run just a few minutes into the final period to push the lead back to 18 with 7:54 to play. The Pacers were never able to get within single digits the rest of the way, as the Raptors snapped a surprising streak of four consecutive playoff losses at the Air Canada Centre.

"Usually you walk away from a trip with the series tied 1-1 and feel good about it," Pacers forward Paul George said. "But I'm kind of upset about this one because a lot of the stuff we gave up was preventable.

"...We weren't tied in, I think our focus was lost. We gave up some plays that we really shouldn't. They outworked us. That's the only thing that we could control and we didn't do that tonight."

The loss spoiled another excellent offensive performance from George. After scoring 27 of his 33 points after halftime in Game 1, the three-time All-Star led all scorers on Monday with 28 points, going 8-for-15 from the field, 2-for-3 from 3-point range, and 10-for-11 from the free throw line.

"I'm just making it easy, not forcing it," George said. "Understanding this team is so great at loading up and I'm not going to be able to have easy opportunities getting to the rim. So I've got to take the looks that I can get and be confident with them."

Monta Ellis was also solid, scoring 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, but he was the only other Pacers player to score in double figures.

On the other end, the Pacers struggled once again to contain Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas. After collecting 12 points and 19 rebounds in Game 1, the big man from Lithuania posted another double-double on Monday, scoring a playoff career-high 23 points and 15 boards.

MONTIETH: Pacers Have Big Problem in Valanciunas »

Indiana once again did an excellent job defensively on the Raptors' All-Star backcourt, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. After holding the pair to a combined 8-for-32 shooting in Game 1, the Pacers held them to just a 3-of-18 clip and nine total points in the first half on Monday.

They did, however, find a bit of rhythm after halftime, particularly Lowry. The Raptors' point guard scored 13 of his 18 points after halftime and went 10-for-10 from the foul stripe (7-for-7 after halftime) while also collecting seven rebounds and nine assists.

"His numbers didn't say how hard he played," Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said. "I thought he left it out on the floor; diving on the floor, loose balls, rebounding. He got to the free throw line 10 times. He was really playing with force going downhill and that's what it is going to be about."

DeRozan made 3-of-6 shots in the second half to finish with 10 points.

The Pacers struggled to find any sort of rhythm offensively in the early going of Game 2. Indiana hit just two of its first 14 shots, falling behind 21-7.

The Raptors, meanwhile, came out like a desperate team, and no one was hungrier than Valanciunas. Valanciunas had dominated Game 1 at times, tallying 11 offensive rebounds, but battled foul trouble in the second half of Toronto's loss.

The 7-footer dominated the opening quarter on Monday. Offensively he scored 13 of the Raptors' first 21 points on 6-of-7 shooting and grabbed three offensive rebounds. On the defensive end, he corralled four more boards, blocked one shot, and heavily contested several others.

Valanciunas was clearly fired up, constantly gesturing to the crowd after each big play. The biggest of them all might have been the foul he drew on George – his second of the night – with 4:34 left in the first quarter that forced the All-Star to the bench.

"It's definitely a lot more physical than the regular season," Pacers rookie Myles Turner said. "The refs are letting a lot more go, so we've got to be just as physical as he is."

Even with a late-quarter boost from Turner, the Pacers shot just 26.3 percent from the field in the opening period, in which the Raptors outscored them 18-2 in points in the paint.

The second quarter didn't start much better. Back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers from Patrick Patterson, Terrence Ross, and Ross again allowed Toronto to stretch its lead to 18 with 8:00 left in the half.

But to their credit, the Blue & Gold bounced back. Indiana reeled off a 15-2 run over a 2:21 stretch to make it a five-point game. George started to heat up over that stretch, sinking a short jumper, draining a pull-up jumper in the lane, and then finally swishing a 3-pointer after a vicious step-back move.

"We played at a faster tempo," Pacers forward Solomon Hill said about the Pacers' comeback. "When we played with a faster tempo, we got the ball out, we attacked them before they could set up. I think that's when we were successful."

The Raptors pushed the lead back to 12 with seven unanswered points, but Indiana clawed back once again, cutting the deficit to just five heading into halftime.

The Pacers remained within striking distance throughout the third quarter, thanks in large part to George, who scored 11 more points in the period on 4-of-6 shooting. But Toronto actually increased the margin slightly over that stretch to take a 74-66 lead into the fourth quarter. They quickly put the game away in the final period.

"I think in the second half they just came out a little more determined," Ellis said after the loss. "They made more plays when they needed to and they got to all the loose balls tonight."

2015‑16 Game Rewind

Game Rewind: Pacers 84, Raptors 89 (Game 7)

Game Rewind: Pacers 101, Raptors 83 (Game 6)

Game Rewind: Pacers 99, Raptors 102 (Game 5)

Game Rewind: Pacers 100, Raptors 83 (Game 4)

Game Rewind: Pacers 85, Raptors 101 (Game 3)

Game Rewind: Pacers 87, Raptors 98 (Game 2)

Game Rewind: Pacers 100, Raptors 90 (Game 1)

Game Rewind: Pacers 97, Bucks 92