By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Paul George scored 33 points, Monta Ellis had 15 and the Indiana Pacers beat the Toronto Raptors 100-90 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Saturday.
Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas fouled out after scoring 12 points and setting a Raptors’ playoff record with 19 rebounds. On the other side, French center Ian Mahinmi had 1 points and 3 rebounds as a starter for the winners.
Toronto trailed 84-81 after Lowry made 1 of 2 at the line with 4:02 to go, but the Pacers scored 11 of the next 12 points to lead 95-82 after a 3 by Ellis with 1:49 left.
Toronto, first-round losers in each of the past two seasons, has never won a seven-game playoff series. Its only postseason triumph was a five-game series over the Knicks in 2001.