The Indiana Pacers have been on a magical run this playoffs that’s been filled with late comebacks and close finishes. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, they came back from down 15 for the fourth time in the playoffs, and capped it with a Tyrese Haliburton game winner. Now, ahead of Game 2, Pascal Siakam unpacked what has made the Pacers such a formidable force during the run.
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Many NBA fans may remember that Siakam won a championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. That was another team that went on a magical run and ultimately toppled the once-unbeatable Golden State Warriors in the Finals. So, if anyone knows what championship DNA looks like, it’s Pascal.
When Siakam was asked what he thinks makes this Pacers team championship-caliber, he looked toward the roster construction.
“We have a mix of veteran players, young players, and you know, we play defense. And we play offense. Those two things, you always need that to be able to win,” Siakam said on Hoop Streams via ESPN.
But it’s not just that they can play both sides of the ball well. The Eastern Conference Finals MVP added that the team is all about winning and doesn’t care who scores.
“Also, we’re together, we’re a team. It doesn’t matter who scores what, who does what. I think at the end of the day, for us, it’s about the win. So, that’s all we care about, and it’s a blessing to be with a team like that. I love just playing free basketball and just having fun, and that’s what we do,” he added.
This type of unselfish mindset is what helped bring Indiana so far. They love to spread the scoring around, which can make them unpredictable for most of the game. While most teams have 2 or 3 scoring options they like to go to, the Pacers have 7 different players who averaged double figures in points per game.
However, Siakam later admitted that without Haliburton, they wouldn’t be where they are. Yet, they still trust each other in clutch situations.
“Obviously, Tyrese has been amazing. So, he’s probably going to get the ball. But I think it’s just a game situation. At the end of the game, you saw ‘Drew with the ball. Another game, it’s probably going to be me, or we’re going to run pick and rolls for Myles. It could come from anywhere. But most of the time, we know we’re going to trust Tyrese to make that shot.”
So far, Haliburton has made 4 game-winning shots for the Pacers in the playoffs. It’s an unprecedented clutch run that we haven’t seen too often in the NBA playoffs. But that doesn’t mean they don’t trust other players to take those shots if the moment calls for it.
Again, it’s this unselfish style of play that has gotten the Pacers to the finals. It’s different players every game being the hero. One night, it’s Andrew Nembhard. Next, it’s Aaron NeSmith. Then it’s Haliburton. It comes from everywhere.
Siakam attributes a lot of the team’s success to head coach Rick Carlisle’s communication.
“I like his communication. He does a great job communicating with us. I think for me, I’m always the type of person that’s in a cut somewhere, you know what I mean? He kind of always sends messages, like he’s active with that, just talking, communicating, making sure that we’re on the same page. And I appreciate it as a player,” Siakam concluded.
It’s not surprising to hear that he loves playing for Carlisle. He’s been a head coach for 23 years and one of the best ones at that. Carlisle won a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 when they shocked the Miami Heat in an upset. Now, 14 years later, he’s trying to do the same thing.
Although the Pacers and Siakam may feel great as of now, they’re going to need to build on what they were able to do in Game 1. After all, they were dominated for most of the game. They need to clean up the turnovers and then, perhaps, they could go home up 2-0 and in the driver’s seat.
