Raptors at Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have lost only once in their last eight games, but that defeat came at the hands of the Toronto Raptors, who visit for a rematch Tuesday. Indiana boasts the best overall (27-6) and home (16-1) records in the NBA and has won two straight since a 95-82 loss at Toronto on New Year's Day. The Raptors have won nine of their last 12 to surge to the top of the Atlantic Division, and they've claimed seven of their last nine on the road.
The Pacers weren't themselves in the last meeting, committing a season-high 23 turnovers en route to their lowest point total of the campaign. "We're going to go out there and battle with the best of them," Raptors leading scorer DeMar DeRozan told reporters after the game. "We don't care who is out there in front of us. We understand that they are going to throw a punch and we're going to throw punches back." Toronto was unable to land another big blow Sunday, losing 102-97 at Miami to snap a five-game winning streak and drop back to .500.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, SportsNet (Toronto), FSN Indiana
ABOUT THE RAPTORS (16-16): Toronto has been a vastly different team since trading Rudy Gay to Sacramento, playing more cohesively at both ends of the floor. DeRozan (21.1 points) has taken over as the primary scorer, but point guard Kyle Lowry (15.7 points, 7.6 assists) continues to enjoy a breakout season. The one element the Raptors lack is a dominant big man, though second-year center Jonas Valanciunas (10.7 points, 8.3 rebounds) and veteran forward Amir Johnson (11.6 points, 7.1 rebounds) have played well since Gay's departure.
ABOUT THE PACERS (27-6): Indiana likely can't get away with the sort of sluggish effort it gave in an 82-78 win over a Cleveland team without star Kyrie Irving on Sunday. The Pacers can survive rough nights at the offensive end because of the league's best team defense - they allow an NBA-low 88.6 points and lead the league in opponents' field-goal percentage (41.1) and opponents' 3-point field-goal percentage (32.3). Paul George (23.2 points, 6.1 rebounds) leads a balanced attack with all five starters averaging double-digit scoring and reserve Danny Granger (8.9 points) getting stronger each game as he works his way back from a string of injuries.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Lowry has recorded six or more assists in a career-best 24 consecutive games, the longest streak in the NBA this season and three shy of Jose Calderon's franchise record.
2. Pacers C Roy Hibbert is averaging 18 points in two meetings with Toronto this season, 5.5 above his season average.
3. Raptors F Tyler Hansbrough (ankle) sat out against Miami and is not expected to play against Indiana.