It was comeout party for the Toronto Raptors all-star guard DeMar DeRozan. For the first time in the 2016 NBA Playoffs, DeRozan eclipsed the 25 point mark and his 34 points is the most points he’s scored at home since a similar output against the Celtics in January. The Toronto Raptors held on for a 102-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers and took a 3-2 lead in their first-round series Tuesday night when Solomon Hill’s 3-pointer was ruled no-good after the buzzer.
The Raptors overcame 39 points from Paul George and a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter. PG-13 put up his second big output of the series and he shot 11-19 from the field including 5-11 from three-point range and 12-12 from the free throw line. George Hill had 15 points and Myles Turner 14 for the Pacers, who led by as many as 17 and never trailed through the first three quarters before falling apart in the fourth. The Pacers made 13 of 29 from 3-point range but struggled from all over the floor in the fourth, making 4 of 15 shots and scoring just nine points in the period.
Bismack Biyombo had 10 points and 16 rebounds, Jonas Valanciunas scored 11 and rookie Norman Powell had 10 for Toronto. Trailing 90-77 to begin the fourth, the Raptors tied the score with an amazing 15-2 run as the home crowd went nuts and outside ‘Jurassic Park’ exploded. Powell stole the ball from Monta Ellis and made a fast-break dunk to tie it at 92 with 6:31 remaining, sending the sellout crowd of 19,800 into a frenzy.
The second-seeded Raptors can clinch the first seven-game playoff series victory in franchise history by beating the Pacers in Indiana on Friday night. Game 6 start time and television information has not yet been determined.
