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How Did Pascal Siakam Showcase Leadership vs. Suns?
© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

On Thursday night at Footprint Center against the Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers star Pascal Siakam rose to the occasion with the pressure his team felt on the road. Instead of folding to the better team, Siakam's leadership shined in the 120-111 road victory over the Suns. 

Although Tyrese Haliburton took a back seat in scoring, more focused on setting up teammates, Siakam put the Pacers on his back to beat a team equipped with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. 

Siakam finished with 25 points on 3 for 7 shooting from 3 and 4 for 5 from the charity stripe. Although Durant roasted the Pacers for 37 points, Siakam's work on the boards paid dividends, as it kept the Suns from second-chance points, which would have helped hold down the fort at home.

The Pacers' star forward grabbed a game-high 18 rebounds, while Durant and Jusuf Nurkic combined for 20. Despite Phoenix's effort, Siakam's relentless performance, which expressed the persistence of a leader, gave the Pacers enough of a window to beat the Western Conference playoff unit. 

After the game, Siakam revealed what he believes the Pacers need to improve on in similar tight spots. 

“That’s [been] our problem," Siakam said. "When things go wrong, we separate… We got to stay together, no matter what…We are all we have... Those little cracks where we are not playing together. We gotta come back, huddle up, and play together."

The Pacers are 13-15, landing them eighth in the Eastern Conference. Although it's easy to quit, especially given their disappointing start, Siakam's words of encouragement allude to the strong character in the Pacers' locker room. 

Since joining Indiana, Siakam has accepted the role of team leader, on and off the court, during the season and in the offseason. As long as Siakam is a member of the Pacers, they can climb the Eastern Conference playoff standings. 

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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