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10 things: Raptors set new franchise record with 46-point drubbing over Pacers

Here are 10 takeaways from the Toronto Raptors’ 127-81 win over the Indiana Pacers.

One — Lopsided: The Pacers never stood a chance after trailing 28-6 to start the game. The Raptors were on cruise control for the entire second half and still the Pacers couldn’t capitalize. They missed layups, open jumpers, free throws, and failed to execute the most basic actions after timeouts. It was an embarrassing display from a supposed Eastern Conference contender, who allowed the Raptors to set a new record for the biggest win in franchise history.

Two — Comfortable: It’s safe to say that the Raptors won’t be sweating a playoff series against the Pacers. With or without Victor Oladipo, the Pacers lack the firepower to score consistently against them. Domantas Sabonis was outplayed by Serge Ibaka for a third straight game, Malcolm Brogdon was bottled up by Fred VanVleet, while seven-footer Myles Turner shrank in the post against Toronto’s miniature backcourt. On the other end, the Pacers had no answers for Pascal Siakam, who got whatever he wanted in isolation while also picking the defense apart when the double arrived. Ibaka and Kyle Lowry have also dominated their matchups, while even rookie guard Terence Davis feasted.

Three — Activity: Not enough is being made of Ibaka having a career year in his 11th season. He’s noticeably smoother in every aspect of his offensive game, and while he’s no longer leading the league in blocks as he used to, Ibaka is still the anchor of the second-best defense in the league. On top of that he’s also rebounding at career rates, as he demonstrated with his 15 rebounds in 24 minutes against a Pacers team that stacks the frontcourt with two seven-footers. Ibaka will quietly enter the market as one of the free agents on the market this summer, and is fully deserving of another massive deal.

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Four — Growth: There’s a clear mandate to acclimate Siakam with the workload of being a No. 1 option, but that’s not just limited to taking more shots. Siakam saw a steady stream of double teams tonight and he was excellent with his distribution to find the open man. He found Ibaka and OG Anunoby on cuts to the rim, which was reminiscent of the two-man game that Siakam used to run with his bench mob partner Jakob Poeltl. What was great about Siakam’s passing tonight was that it was more advanced than the standstill kickout passes to the open man. There was a subtle understanding of how Siakam could reposition himself to open angles for others.

Five — Improved: Indiana resorted to a zone defense to stop the Raptors from parading to the basket, which served as great practice for one of the Raptors’ few weaknesses. Admittedly, there wasn’t much resistance on defense but the Raptors were well prepared. They ran down screens to create two-on-one situations on the wing that led to open threes. They worked the ball to the high post and sliced the Pacers apart with high-low passes. Nick Nurse even made sure to sub in sharpshooter Matt Thomas as a designated zone breaker. They ran a clinic on how to break the zone.

Six — Emerging: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has overcome his injury and reemerged as a useful rotation piece. He might be unconventional and unpredictable on offense, but Hollis-Jefferson makes it up on defense. He’s one of the few players in the league who can credibly guard all five positions, and he’s proven that this season by shutting down Damian Lillard, Kawhi Leonard, and now a string of all-star quality centers. When he also delivers crisp interior passes, tip-outs on the offensive glass, and the occasional baseline jumper, that’s pure gravy.

Seven — Excitement: Thomas has become a fan-favorite, as evidenced by the crowd erupting when he nailed a three to give the Raptors a 35-point lead in the fourth. Not only were the fans behind him but his teammates also made a point to force-feed Thomas at every opportunity, and it was his five threes that stretched the lead from laughable to historic in the fourth quarter. He’s now shooting 51 percent from three on the season, and if he could ever figure out how to defend the Raptors would have another quality rotation player on their hands.

Eight — Disrespect: In a blowout of this proportion, there will always be some whacky moments that stand out. That includes Hollis-Jefferson hitting a Kevin Durant-esque fadeaway on the baseline. That includes Herbie Kuhn laughing out loud on the public announcement system after Hollis-Jefferson crossed up his defender for a drive to the layup. That includes a lone fan — but also a very loud one — that chanted “MVP” for Stanley Johnson while he was at the free-throw line.

Nine — Timely: Perhaps the rudest moment of the night was Nick Nurse calling for a coach’s challenge with the Raptors up 28 points with three minutes left in third. Siakam was initially whistled for a charge on JaKarr Sampson, but upon review Sampson was still moving his feet. The Raptors instead got a three-point play to take the lead up to 31. Nurse says he despises the new replay rule, yet he is among the league leaders in issuing the challenge. As evidenced by today, he will clearly use it in any situation.

Ten — Heavyweight: The Raptors are set up nicely for a grudge match against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. Gasol and potentially Norman Powell’s absences are regrettable, but this will still be a useful measuring stick in terms of the Raptors’ ability to repeat as champions. Milwaukee has grown even more formidable as a regular season juggernaut, and they will be looking to avenge the team that (backdoor) swept them out of last year’s playoffs. More than anything else, the key takeaway will be if the Raptors can put up a credible resistance against Giannis Antetokounmpo. Siakam struggled with it in their first meeting and was saddled with foul trouble, so OG Anunoby should get the assignment this time around.

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