The Toronto Raptors have secured the top spot in the NBA's Eastern Conference for the first time in franchise history.
Led by Serge Ibaka's 25 points, the Raptors rolled over the Indiana Pacers 92-73 on Saturday (AEDT) at the Air Canada Centre, cementing their position atop the conference with three games remaining in the regular season.
Looking up at no one.
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) April 7, 2018
S̶i̶x̶t̶h̶ FIRST seed in the East clinched.#WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/2T279BBqGe
Toronto never trailed against the Pacers, relying on suffocating defence and a season-high night from Ibaka to claim the victory. Indiana was held to just 29.9 percent shooting on 26-87 from the field, leading to a miserable night for the visitors.
The Raptors didn't fare too well on offence either, shooting 42.9 percent. Ibaka, however, was red hot all game long, making five of his seven shots from 3-point range and hitting a scorching 76.9 percent of his overall field goal attempts.
⬆️ @DeMar_DeRozan ⬆️
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) April 7, 2018
⬇️ @sergeibaka ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/oOSz1BUgfl
In addition to locking up the No. 1 seed in the conference, Toronto recorded a couple of franchise records following Saturday's victory, including overall wins in a season (57) and most home wins (33) in a single campaign. The team can add to its totals as it closes out the regular season schedule with its final home game on Monday against Orlando followed by a pair of road contests in Detroit (April 10) and Miami (April 12).