Three takeaways from Indiana Pacers key road win over Toronto Raptors as Tyrese Haliburton scores 30 points

The Pacers kept control of their playoff destiny on Tuesday

By beating the Toronto Raptors last night, the Indiana Pacers finally were able to string together three straight wins — something they haven't done since before the All-Star break this season. Their inconsistent play has held them back. But in a dominant victory North of the border on Tuesday, the Pacers showed professionalism and maturity in taking down the Raptors, a team they previously lost to twice this campaign.

It wasn't all pretty for the blue and gold. Their effort early in the game was putrid, with Toronto taking a 12-point lead quickly. The Pacers were throwing the ball all over the gym and conceding too many offensive rebounds, causing them to fall behind.

But their offense was terrific across the last three quarters — scoring 115 points in that stretch — and their defense got into gear. It took a while to get going, but Indiana did enough to win despite the ugly first quarter.

"Very frustrating how we started," Pacers reserve point guard T.J. McConnell said of his team while being interviewed on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast of the game. McConnell changed the tenor of the action with his energy level in the first half.

The Pacers made 16 three-point shots and had 33 assists on their way to victory. 15 offensive rebounds gave them more chances to score, and when combined with only eight turnovers, Indiana had several chances to get into a rhythm.

They got it done and still control their own destiny for a postseason berth. They will hope to repeat this performance in their final two games, and their takeaways all reflect that.

Tyrese Haliburton was a scorer

Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton finished with 30 points in the game, his first 30-point outing in over three months. The last time he reached 30+ points was prior to his season-altering hamstring injury — he showed off his old offensive level on Tuesday.

It was the ninth time this season that Haliburton reached at least 30 points. In seven of the first nine, he knocked down at least five three-point shots. Tuesday night, he only buried three. His inside the arc game stood out against the Raptors.

The two-time All-Star made seven two-point shots and attempted 10 free throws. It was just the second time this season he got to the charity stripe for 10 attempts, and he was accurate around the basket. Toronto couldn't stop him.

"One day at a time," Haliburton said of his and the Pacers mentality for the rest of the season after the win while being interviewed on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast. He's been playing much better of late in general.

Across his last 10 outings, Haliburton is averaging 19.4 points and 8.8 assists per game. He's shooting over 40% from deep in that span. As the Pacers try to clinch a postseason berth, their star is rounding back into form.

The Pacers slow start was almost costly

Slow starts have popped up for the Pacers this season, and Tuesday was just as bad as any of them. They fell down 13-2 in the first 3.5 minutes of action and were struggling to contain rookie guard Javon Freeman-Liberty, who had 14 points for the Raptors in the first frame.

Toronto's first quarter peak came when they led 35-23 with 1:03 to go in the period. They were rolling, and Indiana looked flimsy. The visitors weren't shooting well, they were turning the ball over constantly, they weren't defending well, and they were getting hammered on the glass. It was a rough look for the blue and gold.

They rallied and were ahead by halftime, but their lead was just one point. They still had work to do. Indiana closed out the Raptors, but with the proper energy level and focus early, it would have been a much more comfortable victory.

"When we decided to grow up. It's all about maturity. They're beating us to 50/50 balls, they're getting every rebound," McConnell said of what sparked the Pacers second quarter turnaround. For a team in the thick of a postseason seeding chase, those kinds of mental and energy lapses can't happen.

About a month ago, sluggish first quarters were a theme for the blue and gold. It cost them games. They figured out what was going wrong and have been better of late, but they need to avoid falling into old habits. There is too much at stake for unfocused play.

Obi Toppin stepped up

Obi Toppin had a tremendous game off the bench for the blue and gold. The young forward scored 23 points, his third-most of the season, and did so with many momentum-shifting buckets.

Toppin just kept dunking. Toronto couldn't keep him out of the lane or out of transition, and he punished their poor defense. He added three outside shots on seven attempts — it was a complete offensive night for the 26-year old.

"I thought he was unbelievable tonight," Haliburton said of Toppin. They linked up for a basket in transition during the second half.

Toppin is averaging nearly 16 points per game in his last five appearances and is shooting over 60% from the field in that stretch. His play finishing from both inside and outside the arc has been tough for defenses to contain.

The Pacers need their role players to be sharp down the stretch of the season if they want to make the playoffs outright. Toppin is stepping up to the task.

Indiana next plays on Friday night when they take on the Cavaliers in Cleveland.

• Tyrese Haliburton sets Indiana Pacers single-season franchise assist record on a night the Pacers needed him. CLICK HERE.
• The Pacers needed to be clutch and to win vs Miami Heat to keep playoff hopes alive. They got it done. CLICK HERE.
• Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle passes Red Auerbach, moves to 12th in NBA All-Time coaching wins. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers overcome slow start to take down Toronto Raptors on the road. CLICK HERE.
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