TORONTO - DeMar DeRozan had 25 points as the Toronto Raptors rallied for a 106-99 home win over the Indiana Pacers in the NBA season opener for both clubs Wednesday night.

Toronto (1-0) overcame a 16-point first-half deficit to improve to 13-8 in home openers and 12-9 in season openers. The Raptors also registered their fifth straight win over Indiana (0-1) after sweeping the season series last year 4-0.

The Raptors struggled in the first half before a boisterous Air Canada Centre sellout of 19,800. But they had their fans on their feet in the second half, outscoring the Pacers 69-54.

While Toronto led by as many as 12 points in the fourth the game was tied 95-95 before DeRozan's basket and free throw with 1:29 left put the Raptors ahead 98-95. Indiana made it a one-point game on Paul George's basket but he missed the ensuing free throw with 1:13 to play.

DeRozan's jumper with 50.8 seconds gave Toronto a three-point cushion before DeMarre Carroll's free throw with 27.1 seconds remaining gave the Raptors a 103-97 advantage. DeRozan's two free throws with 15 seconds remaining cemented the victory.

Kyle Lowery had 23 points for Toronto while Jonas Valanciunas added 21 points.

Toronto head coach Dwane Casey pulled to within a win of Sam Mitchell's team record of 156 coaching victories. He can tie Mitchell's mark Friday night when the Raptors visit the Boston Celtics.

George Hill led Indiana with 19 points while C.J. Miles added 18 points. George, coming off of a major leg injury that limited him to only six games last season, scored 17 points.

Patrick Patterson's basket put Toronto ahead 72-68 after the home side outscored Indiana 35-23 in the third. Carroll's free throw with 1:19 left capped a 9-0 run that put the Raptors ahead 70-66 as Patterson's three-pointer broke a 66-66 tie just 13 seconds earlier.

Lowry pulled Toronto even with two free throws with 2:18 left after his layup and free throw made it a two-point contest.

A Lowry basket and DeRozan free throw cut Indiana's half-time lead to 45-37 after Toronto fell behind by as many as 16 points in the quarter. Offensively the Raptors struggled, shooting just 37 per cent from the field and 46.7 per cent from the free-throw line as only Valanciunas (12 points, six-of-eight shooting) held a hot hand. Stuckey led the Pacers with 12 points.

Toronto didn't help itself at the free-throw line, either, making just 7-of-15 shots while Indiana was 9-of-10 in the half.

Johnson's layup pulled Toronto to within 30-20 after the first as the home team made eight-of-24 shots (33.3 per cent) while Indianapolis was 10-of-22 (45.6 per cent) but had 10 fast-break points and 14 points in the paint. The Raptors lost Carroll late in the frame with a left elbow contusion but he returned early in the second.