Takeaways As RJ Barrett Stars in Upset Over Pacers

Toronto Raptors 130, Indiana Pacers 119

Winning Time

Toronto figured it out.

It'd been two weeks since the Raptors last snuck out with a victory this season and over that stretch Toronto has dropped four games in heartbreaking fashion. On most nights, the Raptors looked like a team still figuring out how to win games, unable to quite get over the edge.

On Monday, they showed that growth.

RJ Barrett called his own number on consecutive possessions, pushing a nine-point Raptors lead to 13 after Toronto's offense stalled early in the fourth. When the Pacers responded, Toronto went right back to Barrett again. He nailed a tough floater, followed it up with a fadeaway jumper, and then nailed a step-back jumper over Obi Toppin to ice the game for Toronto.

Size Still Matters

Don’t let all the talk of modern small-ball basketball fool you, size still matters in the NBA.

Jakob Poeltl showed as much Monday, punishing the Pacers who were forced to make do without their entire center rotation. Indiana tried to slow Poeltl with its undersized forwards, using some combination of Jarace Walter, Obi Toppin, and rookie Enqiue Freeman to size up Poeltl.

It didn’t work.

Toronto got to the hoop with little resistance, taking advantage of Poeltl’s size and repeatedly going to the 7-foot Austrian out of pick-and-roll opportunities. Barrett continued to show his improving playmaking chops, feeding Poeltl with easy dump-off passes near the hoop. When Barrett did take it himself, Poeltl was there to clean up the glass if he missed.

On one first-half possession, Barrett missed a layup leading to three straight Poeltl offensive rebounds before Poeltl finally converted the put-back. Indiana simply had no answers for Poeltl’s size and while it’s not going to be as easy as it was on Monday against other teams, Poeltl’s emergence this season shows how valuable he can be for this franchise.

Poeltl finished the night with 30 points and one wild one-handed slam dunk courtesy of a great find from Gradey Dick.

Barrett Brilliance

Indiana’s lack of size meant Barrett could have his way with the Pacers too.

Pascal Siakam’s defense wasn’t enough to keep Barrett out of the paint as the Canadian forward got inside with ease Monday night. He got to his left hand and when Indiana did send help his way, he made smart decisions, finding teammates and playmaking without issues.

Barrett played hero for Toronto late, finishing the night with a season-high 37 points on 12-for-20 shooting to go with nine rebounds and five assists.

Old Man’s Still Got It

Want to know how the vibes are on this Raptors team?

Just watch what happens when Garrett Temple checks into a game these days. The 38-year-old saw rotation minutes for against Indiana and proved he’s still got some gas in the tank. He hit a three-pointer in the second quarter that led to an eruption on Toronto’s bench as the Pacers called a timeout. Moments later he stripped Jarace Walker, took the ball to the hoop before finding Poeltl for a dunk.

Temple doesn’t see much playing time, but it’s not hard to tell what he means to this team as a veteran for this organization.

Boucher’s Block Party

Chris Boucher had one of the craziest sequences you’ll ever see in the first quarter on Monday night, blocking back-to-back three-point attempts on a single possession. He first snuffed out a Johnny Furphy three before recovering seconds late to swat away another three from Obi Toppin.

Up Next: Minnesota Timberwolves

The Raptors will have a couple of days off before Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves come to town on Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff.