The Indiana Pacers have to win on Thursday night or else their season is over.
With Tyrese Haliburton’s status up in the air and the Oklahoma City Thunder on a roll, the Pacers need everyone to step up and play their best version of basketball.
Speaking on ESPN, Udonis Haslem said that Pascal Siakam will be key to winning.
He went over why Siakam is so special and what he will need to do in Game 6.
“[Siakam is] the one guy who has a mismatch every single time he’s down the floor. Whether you put a big guy on him, he can go around those guys. If you put a small guy on him, he’s going to punish those guys in the paint. I’m looking at Pascal Siakam as a guy who’s got to be ultra aggressive against every single matchup, but not just to score, to get in the paint and get mismatches to get other guys easy buckets and get guys going,” Haslem said.
"[Siakam is] the one guy who has a mismatch every single time he's down the floor."@ThisIsUD on what he expects from Pascal Siakam heading into Game 6 ✍️ pic.twitter.com/RVyVMa6VLb
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 18, 2025
In Game 5, Siakam posted 28 points, six rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal.
Once again, he was aggressive and impressive and showed why he was recently named Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
The Pacers’ backs are against the wall, and they will have no room for error on Thursday night.
Luckily for them, they will be playing at home, and the crowd will be strongly on their side.
Additionally, the Pacers have proven they deserve to be here, and they have overperformed and impressed before.
Siakam has had a terrific postseason, one he should be very proud of.
But he can’t stop now, and will have to work extra hard for his team during Game 6 if they wish to live for one more day.
NEXT: Myles Turner Gets Honest About Going Back To Indiana For Game 6