Turner and Holiday shine- Pacers beat Toronto in OT
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — One night after a disappointing loss in Milwaukee, the Indiana Pacers bounced back with a thrilling Overtime win over the Toronto Raptors at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. It was a wild night, a playoff-like atmosphere, and the blue and gold came through with some huge shots down the stretch to come out on top.
Much has been made about the Pacers softer schedule so far this season. But in the last 12 days, they’ve defeated the Celtics, Lakers, and now the defending champion Raptors. They’ll have plenty of opportunities for more big wins in the near future, as they play the Heat, Sixers, and Nuggets from now until January 2nd.
You know it’s a good night when T.J. Warren has 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, and is still just the third biggest story in the game for Indiana. Myles Turner and Aaron Holiday both made five 3-pointers in the game, including two each in Overtime. For the game, Turner finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. Holiday finished with 19 points, and 10 assists.
“Aaron and Myles made big shots for us late,” said Head Coach Nate McMillan. “Aaron is a really confident kid. He isn’t afraid of those big shots. Myles is really coming into his own.”
“He’s been amazing,” Domantas Sabonis said of Myles Turner. “His shot is really coming around. He always plays great defense for us, and when he can spread the floor like that, it’s big for us.” Turner is now averaging 14.9 points in his last seven games, giving the Pacers a huge boost.
After trailing 105-101 with 1:26 to play, back to back 3’s from Holiday and Warren put the Pacers back on top. It was an electric atmosphere and the Pacer faithful got their money’s worth.
The Pacers made 18 3’s for the game which matched their season high. They also dished out 36 assists as a team. They improved to an impressive 21-10, and Victor Oladipo still hasn’t played a minute of game action. This win snapped the Raptors’ five-game winning streak. These two teams are just getting started- they play three more times, including February 5th in Toronto. Who knows, they may meet another six or seven times in the playoffs as well. After this thriller in Indy, one can only hope.
