The Pacers have to get over the meltdown in their Game 5 loss in order to extend this series to a seventh game. For the first time in their history, the Raptors won a playoff game when trailing by double digits to take a 3-2 lead. But the Raptors have never won a best-of-seven series and this one isn’t over yet.
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LOOK AHEAD
The Pacers dropped the pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday, but we can spare Paul George the blame. Indiana’s superstar put forth a monster effort scoring 39 points on just 19 shots while adding eight rebounds and eight assists. And yet the Pacers still lost and are on the brink of elimination. George was understandably disappointed after the game. “I’m not about putting guys down, putting teammates down, but individually everybody has to bring it,” George said.
George had only seven minutes of rest in Game 5, and yet that still opened the door for catastrophe. The Pacers were outscored by 18 points while George sat, as the Raptors launched two torrid comebacks in his absence. What George and the Pacers are hoping for on Friday is something similar to Game 4. George had only 19 points, but his teammates lifted the club to a victory.
INJURIES
Both teams enter the pivotal Game 6 in relatively good health. Pacers center Ian Mahinmi has worked through a low back issue that forced him out of the fourth quarter in Game 4, but returned to the starting lineup for Game 5.
KEY MATCHUP
DeMar DeRozan finally turned in the All-Star effort Toronto has been waiting for in the playoffs. DeRozan’s big game, and an even bigger Raptors comeback, put Toronto on the brink of advancing to the second round. DeRozan entered Tuesday’s game shooting 29.6 percent from the field over the first four games of the series, but connected on 10 of 22 shots and scored 34 points. “I just felt like my normal self,” DeRozan commented after the game. And if the normal player shows up on Friday, the Raptors could be enjoying their first seven-game series win in franchise history.
After twice failing to attempt a free throw in the first four games, DeRozan slashed through the Pacers defenders and was awarded 13 three throws on Tuesday. He made 12 of them. DeRozan also connected on two three-point shots after missing all eight of his attempts from distance in the first four. With the swagger back, DeRozan could be a handful for the Pacers in Game 6.
QUICK PICK
The Pacers have to be kicking themselves after letting an opportunity slip through their fingers in Game 5. Indy rode the hot hand of George to a big second-half lead and was up by 13 points entering the fourth quarter. With George on the bench, the Raptors made a valiant comeback and withstood a replay review of the final shot to maybe finally put their playoff demons behind them.
But this series is far from over and the Pacers must regroup in Friday’s elimination game. They have shown they can run with the favored Raptors. A little help for George, whose averaging 28.8 points per basketball game through the first five, and the Pacers could actually win this thing. Toronto hasn’t been overpowering, but they did put a remarkable rally together, got some fine shooting from DeRozan, and look poised to finally win a seven-game series.
NBA Odds: Toronto 104, Indiana 98
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