For 18 minutes, the Indiana Pacers were well on their way to playing themselves out of playoff contention. After shooting just 25% in the first quarter, the listless Pacers stumbled well into the second, falling behind 45-26 against the Toronto Raptors. The Pacers were missing shots, sure, but the overall effort and energy was familiar, and not in the positive sense.
Despite playing one of their most depressing halves of the year, the Pacers somehow managed to close the gap to 11 at halftime at 51-40. Out of the half, however, the Pacers looked like a different team, hitting three straight threes as part of an 21-9 run to start the third quarter to push into the lead.