Playoff P or Spicy P?
How about both.
Pacers All-Star forward Pascal Siakam was at his efficient best in the Pacers’ 117-98 win over the Bucks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.
Siakam scored 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-5 from behind the arc, added seven rebounds and had a team-best +/- of +28 (Tyrese Haliburton was +27).
And Siakam did it with a quiet professionalism that has been a constant his time in Indiana. Well, mostly quiet. Late in the game, Siakam shot a few verbal barbs at the Bucks’ bench, notably Damian Lillard.
“I don’t have anything to say about that,” Siakam said postgame. “It’s a lot of talking today. I just want to play ball.”
“I think every time you step on the floor, you want to take care of business,” he added. “I thought our energy was good in the beginning… It’s playoff basketball. We’re excited. We want to continue to play the way we’ve been playing.”
Siakam has plenty of postseason experience (71 games now), including helping Toronto win the 2019 championship, but his Game 1 performance was a reminder to how valuable the three-time All-Star really is.
Game 2 of the series is 7 p.m., Tuesday back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.