Who's Playing
Matchup: Toronto Raptors vs. Indiana Pacers
Records: Raptors (21-8), Pacers (20-10)
Where to Watch
Date: Dec. 24
Time: 5:30 a.m. IST
TV: NBA League Pass
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Game Preview
On the heels of the biggest comeback in franchise history, the Toronto Raptors are back in action as they travel to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to take on the Indiana Pacers.
MORE: 10 thoughts from Raps' historic comeback
After scratching and clawing, the shorthanded Raptors came back from down 30 to earn a three-point victory over the Mavericks – their fifth-straight win.
Toronto was led by a virtuoso performance from Kyle Lowry, who scored 20 of his game-high 32 points in the fourth quarter and a career night from Chris Boucher, who scored a career-high 21 points, including the dunk that put the Raptors up for good.
Following the game, Lowry was quick to credit the efforts of Boucher as well as Malcolm Miller, Terence Davis and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson – four players that will again be looked upon to produce in Indiana given the Raptors' lengthy injury report.
Marc Gasol, Norman Powell and Pascal Siakam are again all listed as out in addition to rookies Dewan Hernandez and Matt Thomas. Stanley Johnson has been upgraded to doubtful but is unlikely to suit up against the Pacers.
This marks the fourth back-to-back for the Raptors this season; they have yet to win both games in a back-to-back.
It is also the second end of a back-to-back for the Pacers, who are coming off of a 28-point road loss to the Milwaukee Bucks .
Indiana hung with Milwaukee for the first 24 minutes of action but was outscored 58-34 in the second half as the Bucks ran away with the victory, snapping the Pacers' five-game win streak.
Domantas Sabonis led the way for Indiana against Milwaukee as he recorded a 19-point, 18-rebound double-double in 31 minutes of action. This season, the big man is averaging 18.0 points and 13.4 rebounds, a mark good for fifth in the league.
Still, the team goes as free-agent acquisition Malcolm Brogdon does, and he was limited to 10 points (on 5-for-19 shooting) vs. the Bucks but did manage to dish out 10 assists. Through 26 games, Brogdon is averaging a team-high 18.3 points and ranks sixth in the league with 7.3 assists per game.
A bounce-back game from Brogdon would set the tone for the Pacers to do the same, as they shot just 37.0% from the field in Milwaukee.
Now that the Pacers' win streak has been snapped, the Raptors are in sole possession of the longest streak in the Eastern Conference. Can they make it six in a row? Or will Indiana bounce back to improve upon its 13-3 home record?
Injury Report
Raptors
- Marc Gasol (hamstring) – Out
- Dewan Hernandez (ankle) – Out
- Stanley Johnson (groin) – Doubtful
- Norman Powell (shoulder) – Out
- Pascal Siakam (groin) – Out
- Matt Thomas (finger) – Out
Pacers
- Victor Oladipo (knee) – Out
Pacers have not provided updates outside of Oladipo, more to come.
Game Notes
- This is the first of four meetings between the Raptors and Pacers in 2019-20. Toronto has won the season-series outright for five straight years and has not lost the season series since 2011-12.
- Toronto ranks third in the league in Defensive Rating (103.5) while Indiana ranks seventh (104.2)
- The Raptors have won five consecutive games for the second time this season – their longest win-streak of the season is seven games.
- Indiana has won four straight at home; this season, the Pacers are 13-3 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and have not lost at home since Dec. 9.
- As a member of the Bucks, Malcolm Brogdon averaged 13.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists against the Raptors in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals.
- December is Toronto's busiest month of the season – the Raptors are 7-4 in the month with five games remaining.
- Pacers guard T.J. McConnell was a college teammate of Raptors forwards Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Stanley Johnson at the University of Arizona.
- Raptors guard Matt Thomas and Pacers' two-way guard Naz Mitrou-Long (Mississauga, ON) were teammates at Iowa State University.
Last Time They Played
Date: Jan. 23, 2019
Score: Pacers 110, Raptors 106
Pacers: Thaddeus Young – 23 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals
Raptors: Serge Ibaka – 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks
