Game Rewind: Pacers 100, Raptors 83 (Game 4)

After a lackluster performance in their Game 3 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night, Pacers forward Solomon Hill bemoaned Indiana's inability to strike first over the first three games of the series.

"We're not coming out swinging," the third-year forward told reporters after the loss.

Well, the Pacers came out throwing a flurry of haymakers that would make Muhammad Ali smile in Game 4 on Saturday afternoon. For the first time all series, Indiana jumped out to an early lead and held on wire-to-wire for a 100-83 win.

The best-of-seven series is now tied at 2-2 with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday night in Toronto. Regardless of that outcome, Game 6 will now be necessary and take place at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday, April 29.

Leading the charge for the Pacers were a pair of somewhat surprising candidates, as George Hill and Ian Mahinmi each scored 22 points to lead all scorers.

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"With this group everybody has to be an option for us, offensive threats, and tonight they were, which made us explode offensively," said Pacers forward Paul George, who had led the team in scoring in each of the first three games.

Hill — who hadn't topped 13 points in any of the first three games of the series — went 9-for-11 from the field and also collected four rebounds and three assists.

Mahinmi, meanwhile, scored 20 points for the first time ever in his eight-year career. Despite battling a lower back strain, the fashionable Frenchman went 9-for-14 from the field and tallied 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block.

"I can't take credit for this today," Mahinmi said. "Most of my shots were dunks and shots under the rim where I just had to go up dunk it.

"Today, my teammates really, really did an awesome job of finding me. It was a total team effort."

History says that teams that fall behind 3-1 virtually never come back to win the series, so the Pacers knew they needed to put together a strong performance in Game 4. They could hardly have scripted a better start.

Indiana won the opening tip and George Hill buried a 3-pointer from the right corner on the game's first possession, sending the capacity crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse into an early frenzy.

"We've been talking about if I get that opportunity to let it fly," Hill said. "That's all I tried to do was start the game off right."

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The Pacers scored the first seven points of the afternoon and kept their feet on the gas pedal. They stretched their lead to double digits in the closing minutes of the first quarter, when Paul George, Hill, and Monta Ellis each took turns hitting a three.

"Right from the start, from the first quarter, we were playing for each other," Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said after the win. "Everybody with the basketball was thinking pass and everybody else was thinking about spacing and cutting and being aggressive. We did a much better job sharing and protecting it."

But as good as the Pacers' offense was in the early going, their defense was even better. Hounding the Raptors with relentless pressure, the hosts forced five turnovers in the opening quarter (leading to seven points on the other end) and held Toronto to 6-of-17 shooting through the first 12 minutes.

There was no let-up when the Pacers turned to their bench. The second unit was just as relentless with their defensive pressure and even more aggressive in attacking the basket.

The Pacers got to the basket with great frequency during a 16-4 run that gave them a 53-28 lead with 3:26 to play in the first half. The Raptors were able to shave 10 points off that deficit before halftime, but it was still a great half for Indiana.

The Pacers shot 56.1 percent over the first two quarters while holding Toronto to a 43.2 percent clip. They also forced Toronto into 11 turnovers and only committed four themselves.

"All season long, once we trust one another and move the ball from side-to-side and make good passes and believe in each other, we're a hard team to beat," Hill said.

Indiana's offense stalled in the third quarter, as the Pacers made just 6-of-21 shots, but the Raptors were unable to take advantage of the slump. Toronto went just 1-for-11 from 3-point range in the period and committed six more turnovers. Pacers forward C.J. Miles tipped in a miss at the buzzer to allow the Pacers to maintain their 15-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Raptors cut the deficit to 12 points with 8:47 remaining in the final frame, but the Pacers responded with an 11-4 surge that closed out the victory.

Paul George joined Hill and Mahinmi in double figures in the victory, finishing the night with 19 points, four rebounds, and two assists.

"This is how I wanted us to respond to the Game 3 loss," George said. "I thought we were very attentive and focused on evening the series up."

Jonas Valanciunas led Toronto with 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting and six rebounds. All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry had 12 points and five assists, but fouled out in the fourth quarter. Fellow All-Star DeMar DeRozan managed just eight points on 4-of-15 shooting while also committing six turnovers.

Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday, April 26 in Toronto. The game will tip off at 6:00, 7:00, or 8:00 PM and air on either NBA TV or TNT. The time and channel for Game 5 will not be finalized until Sunday night.

Mahinmi's double-double was his first ever in the postseason. His five assists were more than he had dished out in any game all season.

The Pacers scored 25 points off of 19 Raptors turnovers. They had scored 25 points off of 20 turnovers in their Game 1 win in Toronto.

For the first time all series, Indiana outrebounded Toronto overall and on the offensive glass. The Pacers won the battle of the boards, 43-40, and had 15 offensive rebounds to the Raptors' 11.

Rookie forward Myles Turner started for the first time this series, replacing Lavoy Allen at power forward. Turner finished with just four points on 2-of-13 shooting, but he did collect seven rebounds (three offensive) and block two shots in just under 27 minutes.

DeRozan and Lowry went a combined 8-for-27 from the field and have a collective field goal percentage of just .308 through the first four games of the series.

"Guys like me and George Hill, we play our best when the ball moves like that. I can say this was really a team effort." -Mahinmi

"We have to trust in what we have been doing. It is hard to guard us in the open court and when we're sharing the ball and making shots. We have to approach the game like it's our last." -Pacers guard Monta Ellis

"I thought we came out with an aggressive mindset. Last game I thought we were lackadaisical. So this game we wanted to get off to a good start." -Turner

"We talked about it before the game. We knew their backs were against the wall and would come out swinging. We didn't respond in the proper way." -Raptors head coach Dwane Casey

"It's hard to win two times on the road. We did it once and that was all we needed to do. Now we're going back home hoping for a completely different performance." -Raptors forward Luis Scola

Ian Mahinmi had played 438 regular season games and 52 playoff games in his career before Saturday. He had never scored 20 points before Game 4. In fact, Saturday's game was only the second time he ever scored 10 points in a playoff game (he had exactly 10 points while playing for the Dallas Mavericks against Oklahoma City on May 5, 2012).

Hill and Mahinmi combined for 44 points on Saturday after accumulating just 40 total points in the first three games of the series.

The Pacers head to Toronto for Game 5 on Tuesday, April 26 (time TBD). They will host Game 6 on Friday, April 29 (time also TBD): Find Tickets »

Select Pacers Short Sleeve T-shirts - $12. Game Night Specials can be purchased in the Home Court Gift Shop or any of our souvenir stands located on all levels of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The special is also available online at PacersGear.com until midnight.