Dinner’s on Darko — Raptors clinch long-awaited reward with win vs. Pacers

Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic promised his gamers a tasty reward after they lastly strung collectively a three-game successful streak.

Now it is time to pay up.

With All-Star Scottie Barnes logging his fourth triple-double of the season and RJ Barrett scoring 24 factors in Thursday evening’s 130-122 victory over the Indiana Pacers, gamers responded to their longest successful streak of the season by chanting “pizza.”

“I informed them that after we gained three straight I would take them to dinner,” Rajakovic defined exterior a joyous locker room. “However I informed them this group’s so humble, we may have pizza.”

Regardless of the meal choice, this younger group once more regarded hungry — extending its post-All-Star break report to 3-0.

And it got here with a fairly typical menu, too.

Barnes had 21 factors, 12 rebounds and 12 assists on an evening seven Raptors scored in double figures. Rookie Gradey Dick had 18 factors and made two key 3s late to interrupt open the sport whereas matching his season excessive with 4 3s.

“That is just the start,” Rajakovic mentioned, referring to Dick. “He will have good video games, he’ll have unhealthy video games, however he must proceed successful in these conditions, proceed to be taught and get higher.”

Bennedict Mathurin stored the Pacers inside attain by matching his profession excessive with 34 factors and 9 rebounds. Two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam tormented his former group with 27 factors, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Indiana acquired Siakam in a January commerce.

However with the league’s greatest capturing group and All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton having an off-night, the Pacers struggled. Haliburton had 9 factors and 7 assists whereas going 2-of-11 from the sector. The Pacers shot simply 46% as a group.

Toronto constructed a 61-56 lead after a back-and-forth first half, after which watched Indiana rating six straight within the third quarter to make it 67-66.

The Raptors answered with an 11-0 run, solely to see the Pacers cost again inside 90-87 on the finish of three, tie it on Mathurin’s 3 to open the fourth and ultimately take a 96-95 lead on Jalen Smith’s putback with 10:04 to go.

As an alternative of pulling away, Indiana let Toronto dangle round, and Dick’s tie-breaking 3 with 8:01 left spurred a 10-2 run that gave the Raptors a 112-104 lead that Indiana by no means significantly challenged once more.

Info from The Related Press was used on this report.