Raptors and Pacers Set for Midwest Battle
The Toronto Raptors take on the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday night.

The Raptors (9-10) continue to struggle with consistency as their record indicates, but they'll head into Friday's contest having won two of their last three games. Their most recent success came at the expense of the Memphis Grizzlies, toppling them by a 126-113 score on Wednesday night. Gary Trent, Jr. led the Raptors with 26 points, complementing them with four assists, one rebound and one steal. Fred VanVleet delivered 23 points, seven assists, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Scottie Barnes supplied 17 points, nine boards and three assists. Pascal Siakam and Precious Achiuwa matched Barnes' scoring tally while adding seven and four rebounds, respectively.

The Raptors will be without Khem Birch (knee) for Friday's game, while OG Anunoby (hip) will carry a questionable tag.

The Pacers (8-12) have found wins even harder to come by, and they'll check into Friday's game having lost four of their last six contests. Their most recent stumble occurred Wednesday night, when they fell to the Los Angeles Lakers by a 124-116 score. Malcolm Brogdon paced the Pacers with 28 points, complementing them with seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Duarte totaled 17 points, three boards, one assist and one block. Justin Holiday supplied 16 points, six rebounds and three assists. Domantas Sabonis generated a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double that included six assists and one steal. Myles Turner collected 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal. T.J. McConnell finished with 10 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Caris LeVert matched McConnell's scoring total while adding three rebounds, three assists and one block.

The Pacers will come into Friday's game without any short-term injuries to report.

Friday's game marks the third of four games between the teams this season. The Raptors hold a 2-0 series lead, having notched 118-100 and 97-94 wins on Oct. 27 and Oct. 30, respectively.
Posted on: 11/25/2021 9:51 PM