The Indiana Pacers did it again. They stole Game 1 of the Finals, erasing a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter—capped off by Tyrese Haliburton’s 21-foot mid-range jumper, his fifth game-winner of the postseason. But as the headlines and spotlight fall on Haliburton, Kendrick Perkins stepped forward to name who he believes was actually the best player for the Pacers in their 111-110 win.
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No Pacer truly dominated the stat sheet yesterday. Their win came down to grit and a refusal to lose—qualities that, in all honesty, only showed up late in the game. While Haliburton knocked down the game-winner, he finished with a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double, along with six assists and one block.
His teammate Pascal Siakam, however, closed out the game with a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double of his own, adding three assists, one block, and several crucial plays that didn’t show up in the box score. As such, Perkins—never one to follow the crowd—argued that Siakam deserved to be recognized as the Player of the Game for Game 1.
“Tyrese Haliburton is the most popular player on this team,” he said in an ESPN segment. “He’s the face, but the player who has been the best player on this team consistently has been Pascal Siakam. You talk about having the first half; he was the one that was in the mix of things, and we expect that out of an NBA champion.”
Siakam, who walked away with the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals MVP despite Haliburton dominating the headlines, brought winning substance, not just style, to Indiana’s postseason run, helping push the Pacers to their first Finals appearance since 2000.
As they say, “The NBA is a business,” and understandably so—analysts, fans, and broadcasters were locked in on Haliburton’s creativity and flair during the East Finals.
Indiana’s fan base, league marketing, and much of the media spotlight Haliburton as the face of the franchise. He orchestrates the offense and leads with personality.
But Siakam quietly averaged 21.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists through 16 playoff games entering the Finals. He scored efficiently, defended multiple positions, and brought stability when things got chaotic. When the Pacers needed a bucket, he delivered. When they needed a stop, he switched, rotated, or boxed out. Bottom line: Siakam was the real threat—and according to Perkins, the Oklahoma City Thunder understood that loud and clear.
“Why did [OKC Coach] Daigneault make an adjustment to his starting lineup? You know why? Because it was the Pascal Siakam matchup! That’s powerful! See, when you start to move the needle, you get in the coach’s mind because he made that adjustment of going small because he was worried about who was going to go at Pascal Siakam,” he continued.
“[He] has not been getting the praise that he needs. I get it that he won Eastern Conference MVP, but this man is on a mission. He is on a mission to be the best player consistently on this Pacer team,” added Big Perk.
Siakam doesn’t dominate the airwaves, but his presence shapes Indiana’s identity. He brings championship pedigree, not flash. A 2019 NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors, he knows how to win and what it takes to climb the mountain. That edge has shown through in every round.
Basketball remains a team sport, and the Pacers embody that balance. Haliburton’s court vision and late-game magic set the table, but Siakam’s two-way dominance often delivers the meal. Their one-two punch has torched defenses all postseason, but Perkins insists that Siakam’s consistency cannot go unnoticed.
The Pacers didn’t reach the 2025 NBA Finals by accident. They beat experienced teams, with Siakam leading through the tough stretches and Haliburton finishing plays with swagger. Game 1 against the Thunder proved the formula still works. When Haliburton hit the dagger, Siakam had already softened the defense for over 44 minutes.
Game 2 tips off with the Pacers holding a 1-0 series lead. Siakam looks locked in, ready to punish mismatches again. Haliburton remains a threat from anywhere on the floor, especially when the clock winds down.
