Pacers 95 - 90 Raptors
Final
  for this game

Pacers head north to battle Raptors

Jan 13, 2012 - 3:34 PM (Sports Network) - The Indiana Pacers try to string back-to-back wins together this evening when they visit the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre.

Indiana improved to 4-0 at home on Wednesday, as Danny Granger scored 24 points, leading the Pacers to a 96-84 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Pacers led by as many as 24 points and halted Atlanta's three-game winning streak.

"No need to mention the defense," said Granger, proud of his team's effort, "because we think the defense against the third team in the East was very good."

Granger shot 9-of-16 from the floor, but is among the league's worst with a field goal percentage of 33.6.

"I never shoot good at the beginning of the season," said Granger, who had missed the team's last game with food poisoning. "Nothing different."

David West, Roy Hibbert and Lance Stephenson scored 12 points apiece for the Pacers, who never trailed after the final minute of the second quarter. Hibbert had a game-high 11 rebounds.

While Indiana is off to its best home start since the 2002-03 campaign, it is just 3-3 away from home this season. The Pacers will be on the road for nine of their next 12 games.

Toronto, meanwhile, enters tonight's tilt having lost its last two after falling 98-91 to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, the final game of its lone back-to-back-to-back stretch. Jose Calderon had 13 points, 10 assists and six rebounds for the Raptors, who have dropped four of five.

To make matters worse for Toronto standout Andrea Bargnani exited in the third quarter with a strained left calf. He had 10 points on just 2-of-13 shooting with 10 rebounds. He is questionable for tonight's affair.

"He's our best player for sure," Calderon said. "After they let us know he wasn't coming out again, it was tough."

Bargnani missed four games last season with a similar injury.

"Things like this can happen at any time," Bargnani said.

After tonight's game the Raptors play three straight and 11 of 14 on the road.

Indiana, which beat Toronto earlier in the year, has won four of the last five meetings. The Pacers, though, have dropped eight of 10 in Toronto.






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