Barnes and Siakam battle as Raptors topple Pacers
With yesterday’s performance, Scottie Barnes passed Pascal Siakam for the fifth most double-doubles in Raptors’ history. And I have an inkling Barnes knew that was a possibility. Every time these two match up they seem to turn it up a notch or two. Or in Barnes’ case throughout this one, turning it up five notches as he propelled the Raptors to the win behind a monstrous third quarter. His dominance throughout the frame was the sole separator between victory and defeat.
Yesterday’s duel started the exact same way the last matchup ended. Brandon Ingram rising over Johnny Furphy for a midrange jumper. Last time Ingram got him at the end of the game, this time Furphy had a chance to answer, and he responded immediately with a powerful slam on the other end.
It wasn’t hard to tell that this was a Sunday afternoon matchup, both teams struggled to score early, exchanging buckets on every third possession. The Raptors made their first push when Sandro Mamukelashvili checked into the game, he came in and immediately stole the ball before drilling back-to-back threes off Ingram passes. After a Barnes missed floater, Siakam hit a rainbow shot over Ja’Kobe Walter to keep things close, 21-20 after the opening frame.
The second quarter gave us our first glimpse at Trayce Jackson-Davis, and I’m not sure anyone has had as immediate of an impact as he did yesterday. Upon checking in, Jackson-Davis jumped on a loose ball and pushed it to Barnes for an easy bucket. And on the next possession grabbed an offensive board, drawing two free-throws on the subsequent shot.
After that the regularly scheduled programming resumed, Siakam hit a fadeaway jumper and Barnes responded with a hookshot. Siakam drove and Barnes fouled him, the call standing despite the challenge from head coach Darko Rajaković. After a Walter corner three, the Pacers hit back-to-back triples to pull within one before Shead bailed the Raptors out with a deep-range, late shot clock heave.
Upon weathering a mini-run from the Pacers it was once again the offense of Mamukelashvili that calmed the storm. After a Jay Huff corner three, he settled things with a driving layup, and after TJ McConnell and Siakam each got two of their own he dropped in his third triple of the half. Still, the Pacers took a two-point lead into halftime behind Andrew Nembhard and Siakam’s 10 points apiece.
Now I’m not exactly sure what Rajaković said to the team at halftime, perhaps it was some version of what he said post-game:
Whatever it was, Barnes came roaring into the second half, dialing up his defensive rebounding and pushing the pace offensively. Blocking Nembhard and then powering through with the left for two. Dropping a pass off to Ingram who skiied downhill for an easy lay. Siakam, fueled by Barnes sudden energy, responded with a falling rainbow jumper, and after RJ Barrett drilled a wing three, Siakam nailed one of his own.
Barnes continued his hammering of the rim, driving baseline on Furphy before spinning middle and stretching for an and-one two-handed slam. He continued, pounding the inside with relentless energy, missing a shot inside but grabbing his own rebound and powering over Siakam. The two continued to exchange buckets, Barnes with the power and destruction of a jackhammer, Siakam with the precision and guile of a hand-drill. After the dust settled the Raptors led 75-56. As he often does, McConnell led a run of his own, and cut the lead to twelve before Barnes put down another two and threw a touchdown to Mamukelashvili on the break (The Patriots could have used him).
Jackson-Davis didn’t get any more run until the fourth quarter, but he made the most of the time he got. In the closing frame, the newcomer had 9 points and 8 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end. He was a true garbage-man, cleaning up messes left and right. Getting putbacks off Barnes and Barrett misses among various other offensive boards. His debut was about as good as you could hope for, and it comes at a key moment given Murray-Boyles’ injury.
I also have to tip my hat to Walter. Rajaković started him in the second half and he completely erased Nembhard. He held the 26-year-old guard scorless through the third and fourth after having 10 in the first half. Taking him out of the action flipped everything on it’s head for the Pacers, who with their abundant injuries, were forced to initiate through Siakam only.
And while that isn’t anything new to Siakam, his team is too depleted to withstand the non-stop force of Barnes and the Raptors. Despite their best effort, Siakam and the Pacers couldn’t keep up. Behind an MVP-level performance, Barnes eclipsed Siakam both in the game and in the record books as the Raptors ran away with the win.
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