Raptors' Game 2 win over Pacers eases concerns, for now

TORONTO – Crisis averted, at least for now.

The Raptors are on the board in their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers taking Game 2 98-87 on Monday night, easing concerns in Toronto after an ugly loss in Game 1.

Just imagine how much they might win by if their All-Stars start hitting their shots. For the second straight game Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan did not fare well from the field, but this time their teammates did enough to earn the win and snap the franchise’s seven-game postseason losing skid that dated back to 2014.

Jonas Valanciunas picked up where he left off before being felled by foul trouble in Game 1 – really the only thing the Raptors wanted to carry over from that porous performance – with 23 points and 15 rebounds. His presence inside simply too much for the Pacers’ frontline to handle.

“He’s playing fantastic. He’s rolling (to the basket) hard, he’s rebounding the ball extremely well. When teams are trying to take myself and DeMar out, he’s got to have big games for us,” Lowry said of Toronto’s 23-year-old starting centre.

Cory Joseph and Patrick Patterson stepped up as well, scoring 16 and 14 points, respectively, and making big plays on the defensive end.

Lowry, who made four of his 13 field goal attempts and missed all five three-pointers he took, made up for his shooting struggles, by facilitating. He had nine assists and went 10-for-10 from the free-throw line, a testament to his non-stop aggressiveness.

There were many eyes cast toward head coach Dwane Casey, eager to see how he would respond after his decisions in Game 1 raised a few eyebrows.

Casey is a coach that’s always relied on a structured lineup and rotation that, barring injuries, doesn’t require changes for long periods of time.That structure helps a team get through an 82-game regular season. The playoffs are a different animal. In-game adjustments and matchup plays can swing a series.

Paul George lived up to his reputation as one of the NBA’s elite scorers with 33 points in Game 1. In an attempt to try and slow George down, Casey went with DeMarre Carroll in the starting lineup, but two quick fouls forced Casey to insert Norman Powell inside three minutes.

“We’ve got to get DeMarre going, get him integrated into the lineup,” said Casey. “One way to do that is to start him, to give him starter’s minutes to get him into the flow of the game.”

George still scored 28 points in Game 2, but Toronto’s team defence held the rest of the Pacers in check. Monta Ellis was the only other Indiana player to score in double-digits with 15 points, while the Raptors had five players with 10 or more points.

Casey’s biggest decision didn’t come until late, though, keeping an ice-cold DeRozan on the bench for the entire fourth quarter. DeRozan was 5-of-18 from the field, one missed shot from matching his 5-of-19 from Game 1, and the Raptors’ lineup with Lowry, Joseph, Powell, Patterson, and Bismack Biyombo – who was later replaced by Valanciunas – was dominant on both ends of the floor.

“I think [DeRozan] understand that the group was rolling pretty well. He’s a pro, one of our top leaders on the team, an All-Star. He’d be the first to tell you to let that group roll while they were in there,” said Casey. “I don’t know if it’s tightness or what it is. His teammates picked him up, he’ll come around.”

Even with another underwhelming DeRozan showing, the Raptors took Game 2 to ensure no repeat of last year’s humiliating sweep against the Wizards. The series shifts to Indiana tied 1-1 and with Toronto fully aware they’re still capable of playing much better.

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Israel Fehr is a writer for Yahoo Canada Sports. Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr