Toronto Raptors vs Indiana Pacers Odds & Prediction

The Indiana Pacers dropped a heartbreaker to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday in double overtime and find themselves on the outside of the top eight in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers will try to snap a four-game slide and jump back into the postseason picture when they host the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.

Indiana was comfortably in the top eight and a candidate to earn homecourt advantage in a first-round series when it was 29-22 on Feb. 6, but it is just 8-18 over the last 26 games and currently occupies the No. 9 spot in the conference thanks to the eighth-place Miami Heat owning the tiebreaker between the clubs. “If we play the way we played tonight in our remaining games, we will be OK,” Pacers coach Nate McMillan told reporters after the 135-130 loss at Cleveland. “… It came down to the last punch, and we just needed to make some more plays down the stretch to win the game. The way we played in this game, you have to respect that.” The Raptors sit third in the East, one game ahead of the Washington Wizards and 2 1/2 in back of the Cavaliers, and are winners of eight of their last nine. Toronto breezed past Philadelphia 113-105 on Sunday and had little trouble holding off Indiana at home in a 111-100 triumph on Friday.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (47-30): Toronto went through an adjustment period last month after All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry went down with a wrist injury but figured things out over the last two weeks with star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan taking over some of the playmaking responsibilities. DeRozan matched a season high with nine assists on Sunday and is averaging 5.7 over the last nine games, up from a season mark of 3.9. DeRozan is still scoring plenty as well and torched the Pacers for 40 points in Friday’s triumph.

ABOUT THE PACERS (37-40): Finger-pointing for Indiana’s swoon can’t be aimed at All-Star Paul George, who is averaging 32.5 points over the last four games and collected 43 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in Sunday’s setback. “At this point, it’s whatever the team needs from me,” George told reporters after logging 48 minutes in Sunday’s loss. “I will give whatever I have and do whatever I have to do.” George will try to lead his team through a final five games that include home dates against three teams above the Pacers in the standings – Toronto, Milwaukee and Atlanta – and trips to Orlando and Philadelphia.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Raptors PF Serge Ibaka recorded a season-high six blocked shots on Sunday – three more than his total from the previous six games.

2. Indiana SG Monta Ellis averaged 4.3 points on 6-of-24 shooting over the last three games.

3. The Raptors took the first two meetings this season by an average of 18 points – both in Toronto.