Barnes records 4th triple-double as Raptors trip Pacers 130-122
By Michael Marot, The Associated Press on February 26, 2024.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – All-Star Scottie Barnes logged his fourth triple-double of the season and RJ Barrett had 24 points on Monday night to lead the Toronto Raptors to their second win this season over the Indiana Pacers, 130-122. Barnes had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists on a night seven Raptors scored in double figures, including rookie Gradey Dick, who made two key 3s late to break open the game. Dick had 18 points and matched his season high with four 3s as Toronto won its third straight. Bennedict Mathurin matched his career high with 34 points for the Pacers. Two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam had 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists against his former team. Indiana acquired Siakam in a January trade. But All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton and the league’s highest-scoring team struggled on the second night of a back-to-back. Haliburton had nine points and seven assists while going 2-of-11 from the field as the Pacers shot just 46 per cent as a team. Toronto built a 61-56 lead after a back-and-forth first half, and then watched Indiana score six straight in the third quarter to make it 67-66. The Raptors answered with an 11-0 run, only to see the Pacers charge back within 90-87 at the end of three, tie it on Mathurin’s 3 to open the fourth and eventually take a 96-95 lead on Jalen Smith’s put back with 10:04 to go. Instead of pulling away, the Pacers let Toronto hang around and Dick’s tiebreaking 3 with 8:01 left spurred a 10-2 run that gave the Raptors a 112-104 lead. Toronto kept Indiana at arm’s length the rest of the game. UP NEXT Raptors: Begin a three-game home stand Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks. Pacers: Close out a four-game home stand Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans. — AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba 13-12
