Indiana Pacers take down Toronto Raptors behind flawless fourth quarter play
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers want to build a culture that is upbeat and features professionalism and fight. They want to be postive when struggling and keep working hard within each game.
In the first half against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, that culture wasn't evident. The Pacers committed 15 fouls and 12 turnovers. They sulked and let the Raptors dump the ball inside over and over. They complained to the officials. Despite a decent half in terms of shooting accuracy (50%), Indiana was down 13 at halftime. They weren't playing their way.
"First half, none of us were demonstrating that. It was really frustrating," Carlisle said of the Pacers and their culture. The game had no rhythm, and it took Indiana out of their comfort zone. The blue and gold looked like they were headed for a second-straight loss.
Then, they changed their entire disposition. Myles Turner, the team's longest tenured player, had a dominant third quarter with nine points and four rebounds. Jalen Smith and rookie Bennedict Mathurin stepped up and started hitting shots. The Pacers were the aggressors instead of the reactors, and they cut the lead down to single digits. They trailed by eight entering the final frame, but they had all the momentum.
Still, the Pacers had not won a game yet this season in which they were trailing entering the fourth quarter. While they had found their footing and looked more like themselves, they still had to prove they were capable of a late-game comeback.
They proved that and more. Indiana outscored Toronto 36-14 in the final frame, perhaps their best quarter of the season. Buddy Hield, Isaiah Jackson, and Mathurin were all perfect from the field in the fourth quarter. Oshae Brissett put together his best quarter of the season with eight points and a rebound. T.J. McConnell dished out five assists. The Pacers played almost perfect in the frame and pulled out the win.
"We've had to have big thirds and big fourths to get back into games. We did that today. I think it's all a testament to the growth of this team," point guard Tyrese Haliburton said after the game. He finished with a season-high 15 assists and was impressed with the way his team responded to the ugly first half they played.
"It's Toronto man. That's how they play. They're going to play physical," Haliburton added. Haliburton was a +26 on the night and played a big part in the Pacers turning around their disposition.
The Pacers were down 15 points early in the third quarter and could have phoned it in. They looked miserable, and Toronto had all the control. With 9:47 on the clock in the third frame, the Raptors led 69-54.
Hardly three minutes later — at the 6:33 mark — Indiana was down just two. They scored 16 points in a few minutes and made the score 72-70. The Raptors re-captured their control of the game to close the frame, but that stretch changed everything.
In the early fourth quarter, the Pacers seized that control. It took less than five minutes for the Pacers to essentially erase the lead, and the Raptors couldn't score — Toronto scored just 11 points in the first 9:48 of the quarter.
The Pacers were buoyed offensively by several guys, but one stood out in Brissett. Brissett was out of the Pacers rotation early in the season, but has now played in five of the team's last six games, and Saturday was his best performance of the 2022-23 campaign.
"Just being ready and being myself out there. I knew we needed a spark," Brissett said of his fourth quarter play. He finished the night with eight points and three rebounds on 50% shooting.
"Oshae demonstrated what a professional is. A professional is someone that keeps their head down, keeps working, stays ready, doesn't complain, is always upbeat," Carlisle added of Brissett's night.
Hield led the way for the Pacers with 22 points. Smith, Jackson, and Aaron Nesmith all reached double-digit points, and Turner was fantastic — he finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks. It was Turner's third straight double-double, and both Carlisle and Haliburton praised his play in postgame media sessions.
The final score was 118-104, and Indiana is back to .500 after going 3-1 during a four game homestand. All four games were against playoff teams from last season. The Pacers are playing well early in the season, and they have three easier opponents coming up in Charlotte, Houston, and Orlando.
The Pacers next play on Wednesday when they take on the Hornets in Buzz City. It will be the third chance the Pacers have this season to climb over .500.
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