The Toronto Raptors lost their regular season opener to the Indiana Pacers by a 90-88 final.

But there were several positive indicators in the Raptors' performance against a Pacers team that reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season.

“I thought we showed more grit and spunk then we did all of last year,” Dwane Casey said. “There are stretches again where we have to learn. Winning time, making winning plays. We had some point-blank shots. I know we will make those shots in the next situation. DeMar had a point-black shot. I think Kyle (Lowry) had one. Jose had a wide-open three he usually makes.

“Yes, it hurts but there are so many positives that I’m looking at against one of the top teams in the NBA. We had some good looks (at the end) but we have to execute in that time frame.”

Jonas Valanciunas had 12 points and 10 rebounds in 19 minutes of work.

Kyle Lowry had 21 points and eight assists.