The Toronto Raptors continue to find ways to get it done.
They have extended their franchise-best win streak to 13 games with their second win over the Indiana Pacers this week. Despite Kyle Lowry leaving the game with an injury, the Raptors were able to rally behind big plays from veteran centre Serge Ibaka and undrafted rookie Terence Davis to come away with a win.
For more on this game, we have you covered with some thoughts below.
1. Kyle Lowry continues to climb the Raptors all-time leaderboards
Kyle Lowry entered this contest nine points shy of passing Vince Carter for third on the franchise's all-time scoring list. He didn't waste any time accomplishing this task, scoring 10 points in the first quarter to get it out of the way early. For his 9,422nd point, he attacked off the dribble and challenged rookie Goga Bitadze at the rim, finishing strong to pass Carter.
9422 points. pic.twitter.com/1Y0OenUcnz
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 8, 2020
Lowry is still 853 points shy of passing Chris Bosh (10,275) for second on the all-time scoring list, with DeMar DeRozan (13,296) still a sizable 3,874 ahead of his good friend.
2. Victor Oladipo posts best scoring total since return
Victor Oladipo has only played five games this season, missing over a calendar year with a ruptured quad tendon. He's been on a strict minutes restriction since returning, playing no more than 25 minutes in a game until he was cleared for a maximum of 28 minutes in this contest.
In the Pacers loss to the Raptors earlier this week, Oladipo notched double digits in scoring for the first time this season with 13 points. He continues to make progress in getting back into game shape and rhythm, going for a new season-high of 15 points in this one.
Oladipo was 5-for-11 from the field and 2-for-6 from 3 to go with four assists, two steals and a rebound, as well as plays like this one below as evidence that he's showing glimpses of being back to full strength.
Hustle Play. #IndianaStyle pic.twitter.com/wemNUfJpoU
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) February 8, 2020
3. Pascal Siakam left the game with an eye injury, but returned to start the second half
The Raptors have dealt with a number of injuries already this season and nearly lost their star player in this one to a case of friendly fire.
In the second quarter, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was contesting a shot at the rim and on the follow through, accidentally poked his teammate Pascal Siakam directly in the eye.
Siakam had a strong showing in the first half prior to the injury, going for 13 points shooting 5-for-8 from the field to help give the Raptors a slim one-point lead heading into the half. The Raptors had deemed Siakam questionable to return in the second half but nonetheless, he started the second half.
His eye may have bothered him from that point on, as he only finished with 15 points in the contest, scoring just two points in the second half. This may be something to monitor with a back-to-back on the schedule for tomorrow.
4. Kyle Lowry left the game with whiplash
Siakam may have dodged an injury due to friendly fire, but Kyle Lowry was not so lucky.
In the third quarter, Lowry lost his balance and fell into teammate Serge Ibaka's leg head-first. He was clearly shaken up on the ground but was able to get up and head to the bench under his own power. He left the game with just under three mintues to play in the third quarter and shortly after, would be announced out for the game with whiplash.
Lowry finished the game with a solid performance of 16 points and 11 assists.
5. OG Anunoby bounces back
After scoring zero points shooting just one shot in the Raptors win over the Pacers earlier this week, OG Anunoby brought a completely different energy on the offensive end this time around.
Anunoby had a 16-point scoring outburst, including 11 points shooting 4-for-6 from the field in the third quarter alone.
OG hustle pic.twitter.com/2GnwOkdntT
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 8, 2020
It was only Anunoby's second time scoring in double figures in his last 10 games. When the 22-year-old forward reaches double digit points, the Raptors are 20-4.
6. Terence Davis continues to impress
Terence Davis contributes in a variety of ways every time he takes the floor for the Raptors. He scores when they need him to, defends at a high level, stays ready off the bench and always brings a ton of energy to the court.
He had two highlight plays in the matter of minutes in the fourth quarter, giving Toronto a late spark. First, he blocked this 3-pointer, something you don't see every day from a guard.
.@TerenceDavisJr is just built different pic.twitter.com/ItYSMEY87I
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 8, 2020
Then, moments later, he had this strong putback dunk.
Rook's BALLIN' pic.twitter.com/Q7wyyxXsLo
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 8, 2020
Davis finished the game with a strong 17 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals, with 11 of those points coming in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
7. Another day, another double-double for Domantas Sabonis
Domantas Sabonis has proved to be a walking double-double this season and this game was no different.
The first-time All-Star was a force in this contest, going for 19 points and 16 rebounds for his 40th (!) double-double of the year. That places him third in the NBA behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Andre Drummond, who are tied at 42 double-doubles for the league lead.
With 40 double-doubles in 49 games, Sabonis is averaging a solid 18.3 points and 12.6 rebounds.
8. The win streak continues
The Raptors entered this contest on the hottest streak in franchise history at 12-consecutive wins. With this quality win, they extend that historic win streak to 13 games.
Toronto has not lost since Jan. 12, 2020 against the San Antonio Spurs. They have won 10-straight games on the road and have only lost one road game in 2020. Four of the Raptors 13 wins have come against teams over .500.
9. What's next for the Raptors?
With the win, the Raptors advance to 37-14 on the season, holding a 1.5 game lead over the Boston Celtics for second place in the Eastern Conference. They don't have much time to rest, as the travel to Brooklyn to take on the Nets for a back-to-back on Saturday.
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