Danny Granger scored 21 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 90-85 victory over Toronto on Wednesday, spoiling the Raptors' first regular-season appearance at the Air Canada Centre in nearly nine months.
DeMar DeRozan scored 16 of his 22 points in a thrilling fourth quarter for Toronto, while Andrea Bargnani added 21 points.
Paul George added 18 points for the Pacers, while David West had 14, and Roy Hibbert finished with 12.
The loss put a damper on a night billed as: The Bounce is Back!, coming on the heels of the NBA lockout, and marked the first time Toronto has suffered back-to-back losses in home-openers since 2000.
The Pacers led for most of the night, and by as much as 12 points in the third quarter before taking a 63-55 advantage into the fourth.
But the Raptors battled back to within two points with just over two minutes to play, thanks largely to the hard work by DeRozan, and to the delight of the capacity crowd of 19,800 red-clad fans. DeRozan drained five consecutive baskets -- including a three-pointer -- midway through the fourth to keep Toronto in the game. He then connected on a huge three, throwing up his arms in celebration, that was followed up with a driving layup and free throw by Bargnani that cut the Pacers' lead to 83-81.
But Granger launched a three with 1:14 that clinched the victory for the visitors.
Jerryd Bayless added 13 points for the Raptors, who were coming off a 104-96 victory versus the Cavaliers in their season-opener two days earlier in Cleveland.
The Raptors' home opener was played two months late, pushed back due to the NBA lockout. Despite the loss, the game was a festive affair with fans wearing red T-shirts -- a pre-game giveaway -- and waving white towels. A videotaped message featured players thanking the fans for their patience through the labour dispute.
Raptors centre Jamaal Magloire, a Toronto native and off-season acquisition, took centre-court to address the crowd, thanking the Raptors for "bringing me back to the city I love and the city I'm from.
". . . I promise you, we've built up a lot more energy in the time we've been away from you all, and we're going to bring it night in, night out," Magloire added.
Canadian pop star Justin Bieber, in a purple Raptors cap, sat courtside. During a timeout, he took a long jump shot that bounced off the glass.
Toronto shot 46 per cent on the night to Indiana's 39, while the Pacers held a 41-39 advantage on the boards.
The Pacers raced out to a nine-point lead midway through the first on back-to-back threes by George. Indiana led 18-11 heading into the second.
The Raptors opened the second quarter with a 14-6 run to take a one-point lead on a jumper by Bargnani, and three minutes later a Bargnani three-pointer put Toronto up 32-30. But their lead was short-lived as the visitors pulled ahead to take a 38-34 lead into the dressing room at halftime.
The Pacers padded their lead to a game-high 12 points late in the third with a 17-6 run. A running layup by James Johnson at the buzzer cut the Pacers' lead to 63-55 with a quarter left to play.
