Pacers’ last-second shot comes too late in loss to Raptors, 102-99

DeMar DeRozan finally turned in the All-Star effort Toronto has been waiting for in the playoffs.

DeRozan’s big game, and an even bigger Raptors comeback, put Toronto on the brink of a second-round berth.

DeRozan scored 34 points and the Raptors held on for a 102-99 victory over the visiting Indiana Pacers and a 3-2 lead in their first-round series Tuesday night when Solomon Hill’s apparent tying three-pointer was ruled to have been released after the buzzer.

“I just felt like my normal self,” said DeRozan, who came in shooting 29.6% (21 for 71) over the first four games of the series but connected on 10 of 22 shots in this one.

“It’s all about patience,” DeRozan added. “You can’t get flustered, you can’t get frustrated. You’ve got to stay the course. That’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

Kyle Lowry had 14 points for the Raptors, who overcame 39 points from Paul George and a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Bismack Biyombo had 10 points and 16 rebounds for the second-seeded Raptors, who can clinch the first seven-game playoff series victory in franchise history by beating the Pacers in Indianapolis on Friday night.

“If we don’t come in [Friday] with the mentality like we had in the fourth quarter, it’s going to be a long game,” Raptors Coach Dwane Casey said.

George Hill had 15 points and Myles Turner 14 for the Pacers, who led by as many as 17 and never trailed through the first three quarters before coming unglued in the fourth.

“It’s awful to have had a chance to win on the road, go up 3-2, and come back home,” George said. “Once again, we failed to live up to that moment.”

The Pacers made only four of 15 shots and scoring just nine points in the fourth quarter. Trailing 90-77 to begin the period, the Raptors tied it, 92-92, with a 15-2 run. Then DeRozan’s tiebreaking three with 4:15 to play put Toronto ahead for good.

at Atlanta 110, Boston 83: Kent Bazemore sparked a stunning turnaround with three straight three-pointers in the second quarter, and the Hawks reclaimed the upper hand in the series, taking a 3-2 lead and positioning themselves to close it out Thursday in Boston.

Atlanta started terribly and trailed 29-19 midway through the second quarter. Then, suddenly, the Hawks looked like an entirely different team. Led by Bazemore, they reeled off a 28-8 run to take control before halftime. Then Atlanta completely blew it open with a 42-point third quarter to head into the final period with an 89-62 lead.

Mike Scott led the Hawks with 17 points, while Bazemore and Jeff Teague had 16 apiece. Evan Turner led the Celtics with 15.