RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl scored 22 points apiece on Saturday night to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 129-111 victory over the hapless Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.
Brandon Ingram added 19 points, followed by Scottie Barnes’ 14 points and 11 rebounds for Toronto, which won its third straight game and its seventh in eight tries since a 1-4 start to the season. Immanuel Quickley and Sandro Mamukelashvili chipped in 12 points each, while Collin Murray-Boyles finished with 10 for the Raptors, who led by as many as 28 points.
Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 30 points, while Andrew Nembhard scored 22 for the Pacers, who fell to 1-12, marking the worst 13-game start to a season in franchise history.
Leading by nine at halftime, Toronto’s advantage ballooned to 71-53 after Poeltl and Barnes’ baskets ignited a 9-0 spurt to begin the third quarter.
Poeltl’s hook shot at the 9:10 mark gave the Raptors a 16-point lead, before Nembhard’s free throws and Siakam’s triple pulled the Pacers within 11.
Toronto’s third-quarter lead grew to 15, but Indiana’s 9-1 run was capped by Jay Huff’s 3-pointer, trimming the deficit to 89-82 with 3:25 left.
Gradey Dick then scored six of the ensuing Raptors’ 8-0 run, before Quickley’s buzzer-beating jumper gave Toronto a 101-85 edge entering the fourth.
The Raptors took their first 20-point lead with 8:40 remaining in the fourth, as Barnes’ two free throws put them ahead 110-89.
Trailing by five, Toronto finished the first quarter on a 10-2 run, taking a 32-29 lead on Jamal Shead’s 3-pointer with 44 seconds left.
Indiana began the second quarter on a 7-1 spurt to grab a three-point edge. Toronto held the Pacers scoreless for nearly four minutes, while the visitors’ 13-0 run helped the Raptors take a 53-43 lead with 3:38 remaining.
After Jarace Walker’s mid-range jumper trimmed the Pacers’ deficit to four, Barrett’s triple and Quickley’s layup in the closing seconds gave the Raptors a 62-53 halftime advantage.
