SUMMARY
- Pascal Siakam and the Pacers have advanced to the second round of the playoffs.
- Coach Rick Carlisle weighs in on Siakam's impact and value on the Pacers.
Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle credited Pascal Siakam for the team making it through the first round of the playoffs and making it to the conference semi-finals. To those who might not be aware, the Pacers matched up against the Milwaukee Bucks for the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Since the Bucks did not have Giannis Antetokounmpo throughout this series and also missed Lillard for pivotal games, it is no real surprise that the Pacers managed to cruise past the Bucks in 6 games. After the game had concluded, Carlisle was interviewed and discussed how the addition of Pascal Siakam changed the team quite significantly.
The Pacers acquired Pascal Siakam midway through the season
Some fans may know that Pascal Siakam did not start this season with the Indiana Pacers. He was traded from the Toronto Raptors midway through the season just a few days prior to the NBA trade deadline. The Raptors appeared interested in building around Scottie Barnes. Therefore, they traded away Siakam, OG Anuoby, and others from their roster.
It appears that the Pacers made the right call in acquiring Siakam from the Raptors. By pairing him up with Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, Indiana now has a more well-balanced and experienced roster. Coach Rick Carlisle discussed Siakam briefly during the postgame interview.
“This was one of the reasons why we acquired Pascal Siakam was to have a chance not only to get to the playoffs but also to advance in the playoffs. He showed tonight the kind of difference-maker he’s been here. He played well tonight but he’s been tremendous and he’s also been a tremendous teammate and a great leader.”
There is no denying that the Pacers have exceeded expectations this season. Thanks to Haliburton, Siakam, and the other key players on the roster, the team finished the season as the 6th seed and managed to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks. Now, fans are left wondering what the near future looks like for Indiana.Indiana will face off against New York in the Eastern Conference semi-finals
Now that the Pacers have defeated the Bucks in 6 games, they will take on NBA star Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks for the second round of the playoffs. The Knicks also managed to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in 6 games and are looking to make a deep postseason push.
In an interesting turn of events, former teammates Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby will face off as opponents on their new teams in this upcoming series. This matchup between the Pacers and Knicks is expected to be quite close and could potentially go down to the wire.