The Indiana Pacers opened the season with a close win against the Toronto Raptors after making a last-second basket. The team started off on a good note, but struggled soon after that, losing four of the next five games.
The Pacers got back to their winning ways on Saturday with an 89-85 win over Washington and look to continue that trend against the Raptors, who visit Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Tuesday night.
The Pacers have not lost at home this season, but have struggled offensively through seven games. The team ranks in 26th in the league in points per game and leading scorer David West is only averaging 16.7 points each game.
Indiana have been stellar rebounding the ball this season, ranking second in the league with 48 per game. The return of Roy Hibbert, who signed a four-year contract with the Pacers in June, and the play of West have kept the frontcourt strong.
The team has played well defensively, allowing only 92 points per game, but for Indiana to get back on the right they will need to score more points.
"Been frustrated all season long," said Paul George, who hit the gym early for additional weightlifting and shooting Saturday, according to the Associated Press. "Shots not going down. I had to switch something up.
George scored a season-high 20 points in the win against the Wizards and according to the Associated Press, he "has failed to get back-to-back 20-point games over his previous nine attempts in two seasons, averaging 9.9 points in those subsequent contests."
This season the team has had to adjust to life without its best player Danny Granger, who will be out for three months following a knee injury.
"We're in a figure things out kind of mode," coach Frank Vogel said.
The Pacers made a surprising run in the playoffs last year as a third seed, defeating the Orlando Magic in the first round before falling to the eventual-champion Miami Heat.
Indiana showed their potential as a team in the early part of that series when the team took a 2-1 lead by winning games two and three. Although Miami won the next three games, the young Pacers proved that they could play with and beat the best.
The Toronto Raptors have been the worst team in the league to start the season, winning only one game so far against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 4.
Entering Tuesday night's contest the team has lost four straight games, including a 140-133 overtime defeat by the Utah Jazz on Monday.
"It didn't go our way but our guys fought," coach Dwane Casey said. "Anyone who says we didn't fight did not see that basketball game. It just did not go our way."
DeMar Derozan has been a bright spot for the Raptors and scored a season-high 37 in the defeat. DeRozan has been the leading scorer for the Raptors, scoring 20 points per game.
The Raptors haven't won a game on the road yet and has lost eight straight road games to the Pacers.
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