Gradey Dick comes off the Raptors’ bench to provide an offensive spark

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Three starters were unavailable, a rotational player sidelined with an illness, and the Raptors’ margin for error was severely reduced.

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The good news on Wednesday night happened to be Toronto’s opponent, as the visiting Raptors beat the Indiana Pacers 115-101.

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The Pacers, now 9-31, are a shell of last year’s team when they advanced to the NBA Finals. To their credit, though, the Pacers, who entered the night having won three in a row following a franchise-high 13-game losing streak, refused to throw in the towel, despite trailing by as many as 27 points.

While Toronto was short-handed, it did have the two best players on the court in Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. Indy had no answer for Ingram in the half court, while Barnes was at his absolute playmaking best. Ingram rolled up 30 points while Barnes, with Immanuel Quickley (back) unavailable, complemented his 26 with 13 assists.

The Raptors roared out to a 39-18 lead after the first quarter, but once Indy recovered from its aborted start, it competed hard and made the visitors work on every possession.

Indy made its run in the fourth quarter when it went with a zone defence, something the Raptors are accustomed to seeing from their opponents given Toronto’s poor three-point prowess.

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The more shots missed, and there were many, the more the Pacers were able to cut Toronto’s lead, getting it to just four points with 5:35 to go.

But Jamal Shead drained a big three-pointer with 4:37 left — the Raptors’ first of the fourth quarter — which seemed to settle his team down. Ingram followed with back-to-back threes to bump the lead to 109-99 and the Raptors took it home from there.

The following are three takeaways from the Raptors’ 12th road win of the season, matching their total from last season.

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BIG GAME FROM DICK

When he has been at his best, Gradey Dick is playing with energy and confidence, oozing a playfulness that seems to fuel his game.

The entire Dick experience was on display early. On one sequence, he was a bit overzealous while heaving quick threes, missing each one.

Overall, though, Dick had one of his finest games of the season, which also highlights how disappointing his play has been.
Wednesday night, he was looking to score, while also being fearless in attacking the boards. He ended the night posting his first-career double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

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Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles also recorded a double-double.

SMALL BALL

No Jakob Poeltl (back), no Sandro Mamukelashvili (illness), no need to panic on a night the Raptors were devoid of size.

In normal times, size does matter in the NBA, especially when it’s a Raptors team whose rebounding deficiency has been well-documented this season. Toronto is among the least effective rebounding teams in the NBA.

But believe it or not, the Pacers are even less proficient when it comes to cleaning the glass.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle was forced to call more timeouts than his team made baskets early on.

In terms of size among the Raptors’ available players, 6-foot-9 Jonathan Mogbo held the distinction.

BATTLE SCARS

With Ingram and Barnes entrusted to initiate the offence, it was incumbent on the Raptors to spread the floor.
Enter Jamison Battle, who made a rare start Wednesday night.

His left-handed release is not the form anyone should emulate, but when his feet are set and when open looks are created Battle has shown his ability to knock down threes.

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Next to rebounding, another issue that must somehow get addressed involves three-point shooting, which became a major source of concern in the fourth quarter.

While he can emerge as a perimeter presence, Battle’s game is one-dimensional.

Late in the first half, Battle established defensive positioning just outside the restricted area and took a charge on a driving Siakam, who was justifiably charged with the offensive foul.

Battle did leave the game five minutes into the third quarter because of a right ankle sprain. He was then ruled out of the game, reducing Toronto’s roster to nine available bodies.

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Up Next

The Raptors return home on Friday, to face the L.A. Clippers, whose season has been marred by more off-court headlines than any on-court achievements. Mind you, James Harden did pass Shaquille O’Neal for ninth place on the NBA’s career-scoring list Monday night in a win over Charlotte … It’s a short stay knowing a five-game western trip awaits beginning with a date in Los Angeles against the Lakers on Sunday night.

fzicarelli@postmedia.com

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