The Indiana Pacers fell to the Toronto Raptors 132-131 at home on Wednesday night as Buddy Hield’s potential game-winner was no good. Tyrese Haliburton once again played well and had 33 points with 16 assists to lead the way, and Hield added 31 with seven three-pointers, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the Raptors
For the second time in November, the Pacers lost by one point to a team they should’ve beaten, with the other coming against the Charlotte Hornets. After the game, Haliburton expressed his frustration on not finishing the game better, per Tony East of SI Pacers
‘”We should have closed the game better, I should have closed the game better,” Haliburton said, calling the game a learning experience. He’s irritated by the close loss the Pacers have had at home but wants to look forward and not backward.
Hield hit a layup to give the Pacers a 1-point lead with less than 90 seconds remaining, and Haliburton finished the game from that point with a jumper and a pair of free throws, although he also fouled Pascal Siakam with 36 seconds remaining which ended up giving the Raptors the lead.
There is no question Haliburton has been playing at an exceptional level this season. He is averaging 25.3 PPG with 12.3 assists and is well on his way to an All-Star bid and potentially some MVP discussions. But, losing like this is a tough pill to swallow.
The Pacers have another home game on Friday against the Detroit Pistons and then the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday in another pair of winnable games.