The Indiana Pacers lost in Game 5 to the New York Knicks, falling 111-94. Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 23 points off the bench, although after the game, Indiana made it clear that they simply did not put forth the effort needed to win.
"We obviously didn't play with the level of force that we needed to," said head coach Rich Carlisle. "We're gonna have to play much better."
His players agreed and made it clear to both the media and fans that they would play stronger in Game 6 on Saturday, although one reporter was not satisfied with that answer.
Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star, who has been banned from Indiana Fever games after an uncomfortable interaction with Caitlin Clark last season, was back to his usual shenanigans.
“How is it possible to not play hard enough in Game 5?" he asked Pascal Siakam.
“What are you talking about?" countered the veteran forward. "They played harder than us. It’s okay. We played hard. They played harder. What’s your point? I don’t get it.”
Siakam, understandably, was already frustrated with the loss, and Doyel's line of questioning didn't help, although the reporter kept pushing the issue.
“You good?" Siakam interrupted. "You good, bro? You’re looking for something I know, but damn."
A video of the exchange has amassed over six million views on social media, with the vast majority of fans commenting to defend Siakam or lambast Doyel.
"Is the pressure getting to Siakam or is this just bad reporting?" asked FanSided's social media account.
"They’re about to ban Gregg Doyle from any Indy sports coverage," posted a fan. "He already had Caitlin uncomfortable last season, and they barred him from covering her. Now look."
Doyel's line of questioning was awkward, although he did bring up a decent point. Do the Pacers have what it takes to close out the series? They will have a second chance in front of their home fans on Saturday.
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