Former Toronto Raptors champion Pascal Siakam is returning to the NBA Finals.
The Indiana Pacers closed the door on a 3-1 comeback on the New York Knicks in Game 6.
Indiana ran New York out of the gym due to playing physical defense and forcing turnovers. Their breakneck pace took a toll on the Knicks and everyone they faced this postseason.
Siakam was a beneficiary of this fast-paced play, which resulted in him winning the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Against New York, he scored 30 or more points three times, showcasing that they had no answer for him.
Now that Indiana is in the Finals as an underdog, they are going to want to finish the job. But, the same goes for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they were disregarded as the best team in basketball this season.
Particularly for Siakam, it is going to be intriguing to see how he navigates scoring against a historic defense. Oklahoma City plays physical defense and does not allow any paint penetration.
For a player like Siakam, he values his post touches and ability to get downhill. But, the Pacers will again rely on their fast pace to try and catch the Thunder sleeping in transition.
All things considered, this series may boil down to the margins and who can find the other team’s shortcomings and exploit them.
In addition to this, the 2025 NBA Finals matchup demonstrates that parity in the NBA is at an all-time high. It showcases that any team can truly win a championship depending on lucky breaks and matchups.
Pascal Siakam’s dominant Game 2 performance
Leading up to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Indiana Pacers and Pascal Siakam were viewed as underdogs against the New York Knicks.
But, by stealing both road games at Madison Square Garden, that turned the heads of NBA fans and media. A big piece of that was Siakam’s Game 2 performance.
The former Raptor put up 39 points on 15-for-23 from the field and 3-for-5 from three-point range.
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