Raptors beat Pacers in dramatic fashion to take Game 5

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The decision to give key reserve Patrick Patterson his first start of the season didn't play out as the Toronto Raptors had hoped it would in Game 5. But Toronto's bench still managed to orchestrate a dramatic 102-99 comeback win that puts the team one victory away from eliminating the Indiana Pacers.

The Raptors had been reluctant to break up their bench unit all season – considered one of the NBA's best – worried that starting one of their core reserves would mess with the energy it provides. They set that aside on Tuesday with their first-round playoff series tied 2-2 and gave one of their most valued bench players the start in place of veteran Luis Scola.

The move was intended to avoid the kind of sluggish start the Raps had in their Game 4 loss to the Pacers by adding speed to the starting lineup. It didn't work – the Raptors got off to a horrendous first-quarter start, and Patterson didn't look like the spark plug he's been in recent months.

"Pat was a minus-20 [Tuesday night], and I love him to death, and I don't know if it took him out of his rhythm or whatever," said Toronto coach Dwane Casey. "I just thought it would give us some speed and quickness to start the game, but we've got to re-evaluate that. I love Pat; he gives us so much. I don't know if starting him messed up his rhythm or what, but he's a very valuable piece for us coming off the bench."

The move was kept secret until game time, although there were whispers, since Patterson had averaged 4.3 rebounds and 9.5 points on 57-per-cent shooting in this series, compared to the two points, three rebounds and 21-per-cent shooting Scola had averaged in the first four games. Patterson is quicker in transition – something Toronto felt may have helped combat the speedy tempo that caused Toronto's undoing early in Game 4.

Patterson hadn't started a game for the Raptors since the preseason, when he was competing with Scola for the starting job. He instead kept his spot as a valuable spark off the bench, often playing more minutes a game than Scola did throughout the year. Patterson, typically one of the first Raptors off the bench late in the first quarter, instead played the entire first on Tuesday in his first career playoff start. He providing three points and a rebound in that quarter and shared his time between defending George Hill and Myles Turner. His team trailed by a shocking score of 35-20 at the end of the quarter.

The change altered the usual early-second-quarter group. DeMar DeRozan started the second alongside reserves Bismack Biyombo, Terrence Ross, Cory Joseph and Norman Powell. That group went on a run and narrowed the gaping deficit to just three points.

It wasn't until late in the fourth that the Raptors manufactured an incredible comeback behind big offence from players such as DeRozan, Powell and Joseph and a massive rebounding performance from Biyombo.

Patterson played 26 minutes and provided seven points on 3-of-10 shooting, along with two rebounds. He has led the Raptors in the plus-minus category this year, so his minus-20 stood out on the stats sheet. He was on the bench during Toronto's biggest comeback moments and the team didn't turn to him for critical fourth-quarter defensive moments in this game like they usually do.

Scola, who has started 76 games for Toronto this year and has 41 career playoff games on his résumé, didn't play a single minute in Game 5. Both teams have made significant counter moves throughout the series and found victories. The Raptors had swapped DeMarre Carroll into the starting lineup for Powell in Game 2 and won. The Pacers won Game 4 – a contest in which they added young Turner to the starting lineup.

Patterson gave huge props to Toronto's bench after the win.

"No matter if I'm in the starting lineup, no matter if I'm on the bench, the bench is still going to be strong," Patterson said. "There are so many weapons on the bench that can show up at any given time."