NBA Game Summary - Toronto at Indiana
Indianapolis, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points and Kyle Lowry had a solid performance in the Toronto Raptors' 104-91 win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.
Lowry finished with 19 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for Toronto, which has won three straight.
"It takes all eyes off of me," Lowry said of what DeRozan brings to the team. "It puts eyes on him too and gives me the opportunity to get some open shots."
Rodney Stuckey checked in with 22 points for Indiana, while Solomon Hill went for 15 points and George Hill added 13 in the setback.
"You have to credit (Toronto's) offensive abilities," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said.
Indiana has lost eight of its last nine games.
The Pacers got off to a fast start, hitting their first three shots from the field during a game-opening 9-0 run. DeRozan then scored the first seven points and Patrick Patterson added the final five of a 15-5 Toronto spurt later in the quarter that gave the Raptors a 21-20 lead.
The Pacers ended the first quarter on an 8-0 run, however, which gave them a 28-21 edge entering the second.
Indiana scored the first four points of the second, but the game of runs continued with the Raptors netting 20 straight points to regain control. Lou Williams went 6-for-7 from the foul line during the stretch before Stuckey ended a 4:50 scoreless drought for the Pacers on a pair of free throws.
"Their bench brought great energy tonight," said Vogel.
Stuckey tied the game at 43-43 later in the frame with a jumper, but Toronto managed to score seven of the final eight points in the half and took a 50-44 lead at the break.
The Raptors opened up their margin in the third quarter, leading by as many as 16 in the period and taking a 77-68 advantage into the fourth.
Patterson buried a triple early in the fourth to push Toronto ahead 87-73, and Indiana could not get much closer the rest of the way.