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10 things from Raptors-Pacers

theScore

Welcome to the "10 things" recap by theScore features writer William Lou. Below you'll find the major takeaways from the Toronto Raptors' 110-106 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

  1. Almost: The undermanned Raptors mounted a valiant comeback on the second night of a back-to-back but ran out of time in the end. Toronto was severely undersized with Jonas Valanciunas, OG Anunoby, and Kawhi Leonard unavailable, and the Pacers did everything possible to capitalize in the paint.

  2. Innovation: Toronto got by at times by switching their guards onto Indiana's centers to limit penetration and coax the Pacers out of their offense. That strategy worked against Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis, but Thaddeus Young's relentless activity on the glass was ultimately too much of a load to handle.

  3. Mismatch: Young eventually sealed the game on a mismatch against Kyle Lowry. Young made a quick move to his trusty left hand and tossed a short floater over Lowry for his 23rd point of the night. He also added 15 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in what was one of his finest games of the year.

  4. Smothered: Young also smothered Pascal Siakam, who shot just 5-of-16 from the field. Young has the exact combination of agility, strength, and instincts to neutralize a post-up player like Siakam. Young sat on Siakam's spin move, gave him space to drive, and allowed Siakam to fire away from deep. Meanwhile, Young also went at Siakam repeatedly on the other end and outmuscled him on the offensive glass.

  5. Tired: Toronto would've gotten over the hump if not for another cold shooting night from deep. C.J. Miles missed two corner jumpers in the third and was a beat late on feeding Danny Green open in the corner off an inbound play that could've forced overtime. Miles was hardly the only one who was off his game, as even Serge Ibaka's money mid-range shot wasn't falling.

  6. Invigorated: Lowry continues to chip off the rust. He was aggressive with his offense, he drove and shot the ball with purpose, and he coaxed a few and-1s out of the Pacers and added three triples. Lowry's six turnovers were a tad uncharacteristic, but otherwise, this was another step in the right direction as he finished with 20 points and seven assists.

  7. Disappointing: The Raptors really needed solid production out of Greg Monroe, but he was unplayable. Monroe was repeatedly exploited for his lack of foot speed in guarding the pick-and-roll, he left his feet on fakes, and was abysmal from the free-throw line.

  8. Creative: This was one of those nights where Nick Nurse threw every idea at the wall. Patrick McCaw saw extended run in the fourth as a token power forward, Siakam played center for a short stretch, the Raptors went to a zone defense here and there, and Nurse even tried Ibaka with the bench. None of it quite worked, but it's encouraging that Nurse was willing to be creative.

  9. Spark: Norman Powell was positive off the bench yet again, providing timely 3-point shots to chip away at Indiana's lead. Powell can still be erratic at times when he attacks in isolation, but he has been otherwise excellent on both ends.

  10. Unfortunate: Victor Oladipo was stretched off after suffering a non-contact injury, and could possibly be lost for the season, which would be such a shame. Oladipo has been one of the league's best success stories over the last two seasons and he's one of the most likable players in the league. I wish him a speedy recovery.

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