O’Neal, Pacers tame Raptors

Danny Granger scored 18 points for the Pacers, who won their third straight. Mike Dunleavy netted 15 points, while Marquis Daniels scored 13 points, Darrell Armstrong 12 and Jeff Foster grabbed 12 rebounds off the bench. Troy Murphy added eight points and 12 boards.

Chris Bosh posted 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Raptors, who had a three- game winning streak snapped. Jose Calderon notched 14 points and 10 assists, and Anthony Parker and Radoslav Nesterovic both added 10 points. Raptors guard T.J. Ford (sore right ankle) sat out.

Toronto attained an early advantage, going on a 9-2 spurt midway through the first, and led 23-18 heading into the second.

Indiana took control down the second-quarter stretch on a 7-0 burst bookended by Murphy layups, but Jorge Garbajosa scored on a jumper and Bosh hit the latter of a pair of free throws to edge a 40-39 halftime lead for the Raptors.

Just as Indiana started to pull away with a 54-46 lead with 7:29 to go in the third, Toronto scored six straight to come within two about two minutes later. The Pacers regrouped and closed the stanza on a 9-3 tear sparked by a Daniels reverse layup with 2:38 to go for a 69-61 lead heading into the fourth.

The Pacers blew the game open on a 10-2 run midway through the fourth capped by an O’Neal fadeaway with 6:21 remaining for an 85-68 lead.

Game Notes

Saturday’s game between Indiana and Toronto was the second of three meetings this season. The Raptors won the first meeting, 92-83, on November 26 this season at the Air Canada Centre...Indiana has won nine of 13 and 13 of the last 18 meetings with Toronto, which has lost eight of its last 10 at Conseco Fieldhouse.