David West scores 25 as Pacers storm past Raptors

Toronto, ON, Canada (4E Sports) – David West scored 25 points and Paul George racked up 14 points and 15 rebounds as the Indiana Pacers overcame a double-digit deficit down the stretch to rally past the Toronto Raptors, 90-88, in Wednesday’s season-opener at Air Canada Centre.

Coming into the season as legitimate powerhouse in the Eastern Conference, the Pacers were outscored and outhustled by the up-and-coming Raptors through the first three quarters of the season-opener.

Powered by Kyle Lowry and Andrea Bargnani, the Raptors controlled the pace eearly on and even stretched their lead to double-digits several times.

Leading 84-74 with 5:58 remaining on the clock, Toronto appeared on their way to recording a routine victory on their home floor until the Pacers came through with a giant rally down the stretch.

West scored 14 of his points in the fourth quarter, including five consecutive two-point conversions to ignite a 27-17 run in the final period.

The Pacers broke an 88-88 deadlock after Hill scored the go-ahead bucket with a hook shot, giving the Raptors two seconds left to send the game into overtime or win outright. However, Bargnani missed a potential game-tying jumper as time expired.

Lowry had an outstanding debut with the Raptors, recording 21 points with 8 dimes, and 7 boards. Jose Calderon had 15 points while Jonas Valanciunas racked up 12 points and 10 boards in his NBA debut.

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