While everyone expected the cross-conference duel between the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Clippers to be entertaining, nobody expected the visiting Pacers to dominate the home team, 133-116. The win provides them with a much-needed two-game cushion from the Miami Heat and the play-in tournament.
The man they have to thank for this is Pascal Siakam. The former Toronto Raptor and 2021 Finals MVP became the team’s focal point during the game, which allowed the team’s primary star to contribute to the game through other means.
Pascal Siakam leads the Indiana Pacers past the Clippers with an impressive 31-point performance
Siakam has been nothing but incredible for the Pacers during this late-season clash, but his monstrous night didn’t happen until late in the game.
Per Eddie Garrison of 107.5 The Fan:
Through the first three quarters, Siakam was relatively quiet. He hadn’t taken over the game and that’s because he was saving it for the final twelve minutes. Siakam opened the fourth quarter with six of the team’s first ten points. Indiana opened the final quarter with a 18-6 burst to take its first twenty-point lead.
He finished the game with 31 points, leading all players on the floor, on 12-for-20 shooting. He complemented his scoring with four rebounds and two assists.
Meanwhile, Tyrese Haliburton contributed through other ways to overcome the 52 points put together by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. While he only scored 21 points, he shot it at an efficient 58% clip. He was especially deadly from the three-point line, where he made six of his nine long-distance attempts.
Myles Turner was also productive from the five, putting up 24 points, seven boards, and a block. TJ McConnell led the second unit, scoring 15 points and dishing out seven dimes to teammates.
Pascal Siakam revs his engines as the playoffs approach
Siakam is playing decent as the second star alongside Haliburton. His numbers only dipped a bit compared to his stint with the Raptors earlier in the season, which proves that he’s better suited as a Robin to another star who should be taking all of the attention.
However, the past four games have seen him up his game to the next level. During this impressive stretch, where the Pacers also battled against the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, he’s been averaging 29.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 61% FG and 40% 3FG.
If he keeps this level of performance up, it shouldn’t be weird for the Pacers to finish the season at the four seed.
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