Pacers 100, Raptors 90
TORONTO -- Paul George scored 33 points and the Indiana Pacers defeated the Toronto Raptors 100-90 to take the opening game of their first-round playoff series.
The Raptors led by two points at the half but the Pacers led by three entering the fourth quarter.
George made a pullup jumper after a turnover by Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, who finished with 11 points, with 2:36 to play in the game that gave the Pacers an eight-point lead.
Lowry's offensive foul gave the Pacers the ball and when Toronto center Jonas Valanciunas fouled out with 2:14 to play. Pacers forward Solomon Hill, who scored 13 points, made both free throws to extend the lead to 10 points.
Guard Monta Ellis, who scored 15 points on the game for the Pacers, hit a 3-pointer to give Indiana a 13-point lead.
Myles Turner and George Hill added 10 each for Indiana.
Cory Joseph scored 18 points off the bench, DeMar DeRozan added 14, and Valanciunas had 12 points and 19 rebounds for Toronto.
The Raptors led 24-19 after the first quarter, led by eight points and nine rebounds from Valanciunas. George led the Pacers with six first-quarter points.
The Pacers tied the game 26-26 on Solomon Hill's 3-pointer in the third minute of the second quarter.
The Raptors opened an eight-point lead when Patrick Patterson made a 3-pointer with 5:44 to play in the half.
Ellis tied the game 41-41 with 1:19 to play in the first half on a 3-pointer but Lowry responded with a floating jumper and Patterson put in a layup as Toronto led by four points.
The Raptors led 45-43 at the intermission.
Joseph led the Raptors in the first half with 10 points while Valanciunas had eight points and 15 rebounds despite picking up three fouls. The Pacers had seven points each from Ellis and George Hill.
Ellis opened the second half by sinking two free throws and George made a 3-pointer to put Indiana into a 48-45 lead in the first minute.
Valanciunas made a cutting dunk with 6:51 to play in the third quarter and Toronto led 56-52.
Ellis made a 3-pointer to put Indiana into a 60-58 lead with 3:46 left in the third quarter.
The Pacers led by four points with 59.1 seconds left in the quarter on a steal and running dunk by George, who scored 17 points in the quarter.
The Pacers took a 70-67 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Raptors tied it 74-74 on a 3-pointer by Terrence Ross with 8:39 to play.
A 3-pointer by Rodney Stuckey had Indiana back into the lead with 6:25 left.
George's 3-pointer gave the Pacers a four-point lead with 5:45 remaining.
Lowry made one of two free throws to trim the lead to three but Turner scored on a layup for a five-point Indiana lead.
It was down to four when Lowry made one of two free throws but Turner got the lead to six with a cutting dunk.
NOTES: The Raptors won the season series from each of the other seven playoff teams in the Eastern Conference, including the Pacers (3-1). ... The Raptors have won the Atlantic Division three seasons in a row, the only NBA team to win its division in each of the past three seasons. ... The Pacers and the Raptors are meeting in the playoffs for the first time. ... The Pacers have lost seven of the past eight regular-season matchups with the Raptors dating to the 2013-14 season. ... The Pacers' only win in that stretch came Dec. 14, 106-90 at home. ... Indiana had the best April record in the NBA regular season at 6-1. ... The second game of the series will be played Monday night at Air Canada Centre.