Pascal Siakam scored a playoff career-high 39 points in Game 2.
The Indiana Pacers are a well-balanced, high-powered offense, as their 117.0 offensive rating ranks second among Playoff teams. All five starters are averaging double figures in scoring, led by Pascal Siakam’s 20.4 ppg. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cameroon native has upped his offensive output to a team-leading 23.6 ppg, thanks in large part to a couple of 30-point outbursts.
Siakam dropped a postseason career-high 39 points in Indiana’s 114-109 win over New York on the road in Game 2. He was ultra-aggressive in the opening quarter, pouring in the first 11 points for the Pacers before finishing with 16 on 6-for-9 shooting in a little over eight minutes of play. By halftime, he was up to 23 points (9-14 FG), a career-best for any half in the playoffs, while accounting for nearly half of Indy’s 49.
In Game 4, Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton each scored 30-plus in their thrilling 130-121 victory to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. After tallying just 2 points on 1-of-4 shooting in the first frame of Game 3, Siakam went 4-for-7 from the field for 11 points, helping the Pacers record a series-best 43 first-quarter points.
Game 3’s beginning was similar to the first 12 minutes of yesterday’s Game 5, which saw the Knicks run away with a 111-94 wire-to-wire victory. Siakam scored 5 points on 2-of-4 shooting, and Indiana managed just 23 points through the first quarter of action. He ended the loss with a series-low 15 points while shooting 38.5% overall in 34 minutes.
The point is, despite an Indiana offense that is predicated on spreading the ball around to its talented roster, the Pacers need at least one guy to step up and take the game into their own hands. Aaron Nesmith caught fire with 30 points in Game 1, and we already discussed Siakam and Haliburton’s performances in the other two wins.
With their season on the line, the Knicks upped their intensity and pressure on defense in Thursday’s win. That inspired effort focused on stopping Haliburton and limiting the Pacers’ access to the paint, leading to Indiana’s second-lowest total in points scored in the paint (34) in the Conference Finals. New York did a great job of slowing down the pace to accommodate their brand of basketball, blitzing Hali in the halfcourt to force longer possessions while getting the rock out of his hands.
If Saturday’s Game 6 (8 ET, TNT) presents the same defensive assignment for Haliburton, the Pacers need to make adjustments to ensure Siakam gets the bulk of those extra opportunities. At 6-foot-8, his length and size give him an advantage when attacking the middle of the floor, as he’s able to take on Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns on drives to the basket. He excels at getting downhill and to his spots in the midrange, and 49.0% of his buckets come in the paint.
Coach Rick Carlisle and his staff started intentionally fouling Robinson to get him off the court, and if that game plan repeats itself in Game 6, Siakam should have the ball in his hands and look to be aggressive in taking his man off the dribble. KAT is averaging 4.2 personal fouls and picked up five on two occasions, so exploiting his tendency to make these types of errors is a great way for Siakam to assert himself while potentially stalling the Knicks’ one-two punch on offense.
In addition to his prowess around the basket and midrange, Siakam is posting a playoff career-best 44.9% clip from behind the 3-point line. Every one of his 3-point makes has been assisted, so dialing up plays for the ninth-year pro to catch and shoot could be sprinkled in as well. The difference in his splits in wins and losses paints a pretty clear picture, too, as he’s averaged 28.7 ppg on 55.0 / 54.5 / 73.7 splits in the three victories, and 16.0 ppg on 44.4 / 25.0 / 53.8 in two losses.
The Pacers don’t want this series going to a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden after earning a 3-1 lead. To help avoid that, and the possibility of the Knicks becoming just the 14th team ever to rally from that kind of deficit, Pascal Siakam needs to be in takeover mode from start to finish Saturday night.
