- Match Date: Wednesday, February 05, 2020
- What Time: 7:30 PM (ET)
- Where Is It Being Played: Air Canada Centre
- TV Channel: FSIN
The Toronto Raptors (37-14) defeat the Indiana Pacers (31-20) 119-118 in a nail biter.
The Indiana Pacers have been in the thick of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers are coming off a tough loss at home against the Dallas Mavericks.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors have surged their way up to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference behind a strong month of January. The Raptors are heading into the contest after a convincing double-digit win over the Chicago Bulls.
Pacers looking to get back on track
Throughout the season, the Pacers have remained in the mix with one of the top records in the Eastern Conference. They have had plenty of balance along the way that has kept them in the mix. That has been the case for the last few years with their current core group that has made them one of the most consistent teams in the league. They have had plenty of consistent production all the way through their roster, which has kept them well in the fray to be one of the higher playoff seeds in the conference. At the same time, they are also becoming healthier with the return of star guard Victor Oladipo after being out of the mix for over a year due to a knee injury.
Oladipo has played in a limited role that has seen his production fluctuate as expected, but his return to the court has been a major positive sign for the franchise. He has had his ups and downs as he has struggled to be a consistent scoring option as he’s averaging 8.3 points while shooting 20.5 percent from the floor and 14.3 percent from 3-point range in 22.0 minutes per contest in three games played. Meanwhile, big man Domantas Sabonis has put together a strong campaign that has earned him his first All-Star selection as he’s averaging a double-double with 18.3 points and 12.7 rebounds while shooting 54.0 percent from the floor. The Pacers will need some strong production across the board to have a chance to top the red-hot Raptors.
Raptors hitting their stride
Coming off their first NBA title, the Raptors have had their fair share of ups and downs throughout the year. They have continued to improve as the season has worn on as they have dealt with injuries to the core group of their roster. They are finally looking healthy with their best players hitting their stride on the court that helped them come off an impressive month of January going 12-3 in the 15 games played while averaging 114.0 points per contest. That has moved on over to February as they are riding an 11-game winning streak that has moved them up to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. They have had plenty of balance across their roster that has helped them find much success this season.
It has seen first-time All-Star Pascal Siakam lead the way with his production as he finally moved past his nagging quad injury that kept him off the floor for a few weeks. Siakam put forth a strong month of January that saw him average 20.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest. His production has continued to be at a high level as he heads the charge with 23.7 points on 46.2 percent shooting from the floor and 36.7 percent from beyond the arc. Siakam has posted north of 15 points in each of his last five games, including more than 20 points three times. With Toronto playing their best basketball of the season, it’s hard to envision Wednesday’s contest going any other way for them.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors have surged their way up to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference behind a strong month of January. The Raptors are heading into the contest after a convincing double-digit win over the Chicago Bulls.
Pacers looking to get back on track
Throughout the season, the Pacers have remained in the mix with one of the top records in the Eastern Conference. They have had plenty of balance along the way that has kept them in the mix. That has been the case for the last few years with their current core group that has made them one of the most consistent teams in the league. They have had plenty of consistent production all the way through their roster, which has kept them well in the fray to be one of the higher playoff seeds in the conference. At the same time, they are also becoming healthier with the return of star guard Victor Oladipo after being out of the mix for over a year due to a knee injury.
Oladipo has played in a limited role that has seen his production fluctuate as expected, but his return to the court has been a major positive sign for the franchise. He has had his ups and downs as he has struggled to be a consistent scoring option as he’s averaging 8.3 points while shooting 20.5 percent from the floor and 14.3 percent from 3-point range in 22.0 minutes per contest in three games played. Meanwhile, big man Domantas Sabonis has put together a strong campaign that has earned him his first All-Star selection as he’s averaging a double-double with 18.3 points and 12.7 rebounds while shooting 54.0 percent from the floor. The Pacers will need some strong production across the board to have a chance to top the red-hot Raptors.
Raptors hitting their stride
Coming off their first NBA title, the Raptors have had their fair share of ups and downs throughout the year. They have continued to improve as the season has worn on as they have dealt with injuries to the core group of their roster. They are finally looking healthy with their best players hitting their stride on the court that helped them come off an impressive month of January going 12-3 in the 15 games played while averaging 114.0 points per contest. That has moved on over to February as they are riding an 11-game winning streak that has moved them up to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. They have had plenty of balance across their roster that has helped them find much success this season.
It has seen first-time All-Star Pascal Siakam lead the way with his production as he finally moved past his nagging quad injury that kept him off the floor for a few weeks. Siakam put forth a strong month of January that saw him average 20.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest. His production has continued to be at a high level as he heads the charge with 23.7 points on 46.2 percent shooting from the floor and 36.7 percent from beyond the arc. Siakam has posted north of 15 points in each of his last five games, including more than 20 points three times. With Toronto playing their best basketball of the season, it’s hard to envision Wednesday’s contest going any other way for them.
