When the Indiana Pacers claimed their entry to the NBA Finals, a lot of people felt that Tyrese Haliburton was going to win the Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
In the end, it was Pascal Siakam who was granted the honor, a major moment in his career.
Speaking on ESPN, Kendrick Perkins praised that choice, and Siakam.
“I tweeted it out before they announced it that I thought Pascal Siakam should’ve been the [ECF] MVP, and he was. He was consistent throughout the Eastern Conference. When they get down to the halfcourt sets, he was the one that got them through. He was the mismatch the Knicks couldn’t figure out. He was the guy. Well-deserved. I thought it was close, but I would’ve gave it to Pascal Siakam as well,” Perkins said.
"He was the guy. Well-deserved. I thought it was close, but I would've gave it to Pascal Siakam as well."@kendrickperkins explains why Siakam deserved the ECF MVP over Tyrese Haliburton 👀 pic.twitter.com/QkbcmNPHnY
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 2, 2025
Siakam beat Haliburton by a single vote, meaning that the voters saw the value in both players.
During the six games against the New York Knicks, Siakam put up an average of 24.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and just 1.0 turnover per game.
Haliburton was no slouch, of course, and he produced 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 10.5 assists.
Game 6 sealed the deal for Siakam as he had a huge 31 points and really left an impression on fans and media members voting for MVP.
His recent performances have been great news for the Pacers and bad news for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Pacers are tough enough with Haliburton doing well.
When Siakam is also on a tear, the team becomes so much stronger.
He makes the Pacers a deeper threat that is more relentless.
Indiana is hoping that Siakam continues to perform like this.
Winning this trophy is an accomplishment that could inspire and motivate him even more, meaning we could be seeing greater games from him during their Finals run.
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