Pascal Siakam is fresh off an Eastern Conference Finals MVP from last week.
He's looking to carry the momentum from the Pacers/Knicks series into the NBA Finals.
Siakam is one of a few Pacers players with NBA Finals experience, and the last time he played in an NBA Finals series opener, it was a historic night.
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What did Siakam do in Game 1 in the 2019 NBA Finals?
According to Statmuse, in Game 1 Siakam had this historic statline against the Warriors:
Siakam in Game 1 of the 2019 Finals:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 5, 2025
32 PTS
8 REB
5 AST
2 BLK
14-16 FG
2-3 3P
The only player in NBA history with a 30/5/5 Finals game on 80/60/100% shooting. pic.twitter.com/wKNkGyVats
Siakam might need to replicate a performance like that in Game 1 against the Thunder to get the job done.
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A lot of people are already counting the Pacers out of the series, but we have seen how that has worked for certain teams with the 'leg ahead.'
The Pacers have shown they can beat talented teams this postseason, and have won all their series in six games or less.
Siakam's big jump with Toronto in 2019 was a large part of why the Raptors were able to overcome an unbeatable Warriors team with Kevin Durant.
If Siakam and Haliburton can be at the top of their game this series, I wouldn't be surprised to see them battle well against an almost flawless Thunder team.
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