Pascal Siakam, Balanced Raptors Outlast Pacers After Kyle Lowry Exits Injured

The Toronto Raptors won their 13th straight game courtesy of a 115-106 victory over the host Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday.

Serge Ibaka paced a balanced Raps scoring attack with 22 points.

Kyle Lowry posted a 16-point, 11-assist double-double in just 28 minutes but was forced to leave the game in the third quarter after suffering a whiplash injury.

OG Anunoby had five steals in addition to his 16 points. Terence Davis dropped 17 points and eight boards off the bench, and Pascal Siakam pitched in 15 points.

Six Pacers scored in double figures led by 19 from Domantas Sabonis, who led all players with 16 rebounds.

The 38-14 Raptors maintained their hold on second place in the Eastern Conference. The 31-21 Pacers fell to sixth.

Notable Performances

Raptors C Serge Ibaka: 22 PTS, 10 REB, 3 AST

Raptors PG Kyle Lowry: 16 PTS, 11 AST

Raptors SG Terence Davis: 17 PTS, 8 REB, 2 STL

Pacers C Domantas Sabonis: 19 PTS, 16 REB, 3 AST

Pacers PG Malcolm Brogdon: 16 PTS, 8 AST, 6 REB

Pacers SG Victor Oladipo: 15 PTS, 4 AST, 2 STL

Resilient Raptors Deliver Once Again

A tweet from Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star sums up the 2019-20 Raps best.

"Lowry, Siakam, Gasol, VanVleet, Ibaka, and Powell have all missed at least 10 games," he wrote.

"Never any excuses, always give what they have, absolute hearts of champions. The Raptors are one hell of a team."

The Raps entered Indiana shorthanded once again, with Marc Gasol and Norman Powell still out with injuries. Then, Pascal Siakam left for a brief time with a right eye injury following a poke before Kyle Lowry left for good with whiplash in the third.

But as it's been all season, the next men up delivered a win.

This time it was Terence Davis, who dropped 17 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Down low, Serge Ibaka dominated the paint with 22 points, and OG Anunoby's five steals were the catalyst for the Pacers' 20-turnover performance.

Given the circumstances, this has been an excellent run for the Raps, who now have the NBA's longest win streak of the season.

The Raptors haven't exactly gone through a gauntlet of teams, with nine of their opponents having losing records. 

Winning on the road is never a given against any team, however, and the Raptors have done just that against eight teams.

Moreover, a few of their opponents are destined for the playoffs, including the Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers.

The road win over the Pacers is the most impressive victory of the streak yet, though, and it gives hope that the Raps could very well win the Eastern Conference once again despite a formidable Milwaukee Bucks team sitting in first.

Toronto led for all of the final 18 minutes despite Lowry leaving with 2:42 in the third. Furthermore, the Raps didn't go into panic mode when the Pacers cut the deficit to two points in the fourth on multiple occasions.

Instead, the Raptors slammed the door shut with a 14-3 run buoyed by two Davis dunks and a three-pointer.

Toronto should be favored in its next five games, four of which are at home and all but one against losing teams.

The league-best Bucks await after that run of matchups, though. That being said, this Raps team looks ready to take on anyone, even when they're shorthanded.

What's Next?

Both teams will play at home on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Raptors will host the Brooklyn Nets, and the Pacers will welcome the New Orleans Pelicans.