Pascal Siakam, a former champion with playoff experience, knows what it will take for the Indiana Pacers to move forward in the playoffs after a long drought. Siakam showed his commitment in the game.
Scoring 37 points, the former Toronto Raptors player helped the Pacers overcome a strong first-half performance from Damian Lillard to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 125-108 on Tuesday. This win evens up their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at one game each.
The next game, Game 3, will be in Indianapolis on Friday. “We need to be the team that wants it more,” Siakam said. “We have to show our hunger and determination, especially against a team with a strong track record.”
The Pacers showed their hunger by ending a 10-game playoff losing streak, which started back in 2018 with a Game 7 loss to Cleveland.
Indiana added Siakam to their roster in January, partly because of his experience winning the championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Following his 36-point performance in Game 1, Siakam continued to impress by shooting 16 of 23 from the field and contributing 11 rebounds and six assists in Tuesday’s game.
According to Stats Perform, Siakam is the first NBA player to start a postseason with back-to-back games of scoring more than 35 points and grabbing over 10 rebounds since Wilt Chamberlain did it in 1967.
“His playoff experience is really valuable,” said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. “He’s not someone who gets nervous easily. Since we got him in January, he’s been steady. He’s someone the team trusts and looks up to.”
The Pacers relied on Siakam because Damian Lillard was once again performing well for the Bucks, especially in the first two quarters.
Just two nights after scoring all 35 of his points in the first half of the Bucks’ 109-94 win in Game 1, Lillard had 26 points by halftime on Tuesday and ended the game with 34 points.
But it wasn’t enough. “I feel like in both games, we did well in the first two quarters, but then in the second half, we got away from what was working,” said Lillard.
Lillard didn’t receive enough support as the Bucks were once again without their star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has been sidelined with a calf injury since April 9.
Even though Lillard had a strong start, the Bucks still trailed 60-55 at halftime, and the Pacers maintained their lead throughout the second half.
