How Pascal Siakam’s voice — and game —led the Pacers to evening series with Bucks

MILWAUKEE -- Pascal Siakam had been told in the past that he should talk more, that the voice of a two-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA pick who had earned a championship ring after coming to the United States at 18 with very little understanding of the game would be valuable.

But that's not how he's built. The native of Cameroon is thoughtful and eloquent in multiple languages -- when he was playing for the Raptors, he was every bit as conversational in French as he is in English -- but has little desire to be the one speaking at the center of the room while everyone else is listening. He desires little attention and has no interest in trying to command it.

However, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle told Siakam at times since he was acquired from the Raptors in January that the Pacers didn't just want, but needed his voice. Siakam needed to show as well as tell, but players on a franchise that has never won an NBA title and hadn't been to the playoffs since 2020 and had so many key players with zero postseason experience had to have someone explain to them what is required to ascend to the mountaintop.

"It's different because I'm usually not a talkative person," Siakam said. "And it's something that, maybe in the past, in different situations it was always, 'We hope you talk a little bit more.' But I thought I was challenged a little bit with this group to just continue to talk, and it feels better when you feel like your voice is received well, and the guys, once you talk, they're looking and they're hearing you and it feels like they want to get any information you have. Especially for a person like me. That's not really what I do."

Flash forward to April and Siakam has given the Pacers so many more reasons to listen. After an excellent regular season performance in which led the Pacers with 21.3 points per game in 41 games after he was acquired from the Raptors, Siakam has been Indiana's rock in Games 1 and 2 as they've gotten accustomed to the intensity of playoff basketball. He scored 36 points in Sunday night's loss to the Bucks, then stepped it up Tuesday with 37 points on 16 of 23 shooting, 11 rebounds and six assists to help the Pacers grab a critical, necessary 125-108 win over Milwaukee to even the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series 1-1 before it goes to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 3 on Friday at 5:30 p.m. It was the Pacers first win in a playoff game since 2018, cracking a 10-game losing streak. The Pacers still have reason to suspect they'll see two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo return from a strained calf muscle at some point this series, so it was necessary to grab one of those two games.

The Pacers were better across the board than they were in Game 1, playing defense with more force and physicality and hitting outside shots at a dramatically better clip, knocking down 16 3-pointers on 36 attempts after they made just 8 on 39 tries on Sunday in Game 1. But Siakam set their baseline in both games with a performance that was nearly unprecedented. According to a social media post from the sports analytics company Sports Perform, Siakam became the first player to begin the playoffs with back-to-back 35-point, 10-rebound efforts since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967, and he did it while shooting a combined 64.5%.

"He's leading by example," veteran center Myles Turner said. "The stuff he's talking about, he's going out and doing. Just grabbing boards, being so offensively effective, getting guys involved, speaking up. That's the type of stuff that we needed. It's been a hell of an addition for us."

Siakam wasn't a part of any of the five games between the Bucks and Pacers this series, which all took place before Jan. 4 and neither was Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers, having been hired in January to replace the fired Adrian Griffin. Rivers saw on film that the Pacers had lost some of their potency from those five games, of which Indiana had won four, because they had lost Bennedict Mathurin to injury and guards Buddy Hield and Bruce Brown to trades, with Brown being part of the deal for Siakam.

But in Siakam they had gained something of bigger importance.

"He gives them multiple options," Rivers said in his news conference before Game 1. "I don't think they're as fast as they were. Buddy Hield, he's one of the fastest players in the league in transition. Mathurin is out. They're a little bit different. Brown is another is a guy that ran. But what they get is a go-to scorer without running offense. I think part of the Pacers' offense is through their offensive movement. They now have a guy that you can just give the ball to and tell him to go score. They didn't have that before and it makes them better."

Despite knowing that, Rivers has put more of the defensive focus on All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton and with good reason. Haliburton may not be their most effective scorer now that Siakam is on the team, but he is their engine. He led the NBA in assists this season and the Pacers are at their hardest to guard when he's playing with momentum in transition. So Rivers not only put defensive ace Patrick Beverley as well as Malik Beasley and others on the assignment, he used forward Bobby Portis as a near-constant ball screen blitzer and has tried to have two bodies on or near Haliburton at all times. The Bucks have also had to be wary of center Myles Turner, who sets a lot of those ball screens and can cause trouble either by popping out for 3-point shots, hitting mid-range shots out of short rolls or going to the rim. He was terrific in those situations on Tuesday with 22 points on 9 of 15 shooting including 3 of 6 from 3-point range as well as six assists.

What that's meant, however, is that Siakam has frequently been dealing with single coverage. He's been guarded primarily by excellent defenders in Portis and Brook Lopez, but they've also been preoccupied with their eyes on Haliburton to make sure he doesn't get easy offense and with the Haliburton-Turner ball screen combination. Lopez in particular focuses his defense on swatting shots away near the rim, and he frequently guarded Siakam while Portis took on Turner so he could blitz ball screens.

Siakam has found himself with room to work in scrambles off of double teams, but also in scenarios when he can simply go one-on-one against his man and get to the shots he wants. At 6-8 with a 7-3 wingspan and excellent handles and touch, he has an array of spin moves that can get him to the basket, plus an arsenal of turnaround jumpers and fadeaways that no defender can get a hand on.

Siakam's shot chart showed just how many ways he can attack such a defensive approach on him. He drilled 3 of his 4 3-point attempts and five buckets inside the restricted area around the rim, but also hit eight shots that were some form of mid-range jumper including two that were entirely outside the paint.

"He's playing unbelievable," Haliburton said. "They're trying to crossmatch and put their big on him. They're basically saying they're living with him shooting those mid-range jumpers, which is where he makes a living. He's doing a good job of just taking what the defense gives him. Sixteen-of-23 is amazing."

The Bucks have plenty of firepower even with Antetokounmpo out. All-NBA guard Damian Lillard has put on a vintage performance, following a 35-point outing on Sunday with 34 on Tuesday. Every time the Pacers built leads in the first three quarters on Tuesday, the Bucks kept clawing back.

However, the Pacers kept finding answers and Siakam was specifically good in those scenarios. He was 8 of 9 from the floor in the second half for 16 points to go with four assists. He was also strong on the defensive end, keeping Portis in check and providing effective double teams on Lillard.

"He just doesn't get rattled," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "He plays the game at his pace. ... He's a unique player. His experience shows, and he had a lot of big plays for us tonight."

Siakam wasn't the only member of the Pacers who made big plays. Turner was exceptional. Haliburton was much better in Game 2 with 12 points and 12 assists. Second-year guard Andrew Nembhard stuck with the Lillard assignment and fought valiantly and also scored 20 points with a much more aggressive offensive approach. The Pacers shortened their bench, but it still outscored Milwaukee's 23-18. The Pacers held the Bucks to 44.2% shooting, they won the rebounding battle 45-40 and they outscored them in the paint 52-36, all signs that their overall level of presence and force was stronger in Game 2. They also made 16 of 36 3-pointers after hitting just 8 of 38 on Sunday, showing a higher overall level of confidence.

And that's a sign Siakam's voice is having a significant impact, like his play, as his words since Sunday helped steady his teammates' collective psyche.

"One of the things I wanted to make sure of after that game is for everyone to just relax, understand that we didn't have a good first half in that first game," Siakam said. "Knowing that, we're way better than what we showed. So I thought we responded well. Then today, I thought from the beginning our intensity was better. ... The composure was there. I could see it in the eyes of the guys. Just guys not panicking or guys just being confident in the fact that if we executed in the right way, we'd have a chance. I thought that's what we did and we showed that every single play, and that's what we're gonna need."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How Pacers Pascal Siakam’s voice — and game — evened series with Bucks