Pascal Siakam, the winning shot worthy of a “max player”

Three days earlier, he had tried to win at truffles by Brandon Ingramon his old floor in Toronto. this night Pascal Miss he found himself on the other “side” of the goal his turn is the “game winner” against the Bulls.

« It’s nice, I’m not going to lie. I thought about it. I spent a few evenings like that, thinking about that shot, what I could have done better, how I could have saved it better, things like that. So you really don’t want to end up on the other side. So it feels good to be on the good side this time », don’t hide the Pacer’s interior.

There were 7.5 seconds left and both teams were tied when the throw-in was called. Served at the head of the racket, Siakam first waited a few seconds to start the clock. He then went right-handed against Matas Bouzelis, stopped at 45° and, despite the arrival of Tre Jones, signed a mini-feint before rising. A shot incredibly difficult that he made relatively easy », summarizes Rick Carlisle.

« That’s why we have a “max” of players that we can give the ball to in these situations, knowing that they can not only make the shot, but make these tough shots. (…) He changed the angle a bit, adjusted the path of the bow and put her in it. And for 0.1 seconds, you really can’t ask for anything better than that. », delivers the coach, to the idea that the Bulls were no longer able to respond.

The shot worked with his brother

Believing you missed out” plenty of easy shots » at the match, Siakam, the author of 24 points (11/23 on shots), 9 rebounds and 4 assists, doubted that his efforts would pay off in the end. At the action in question, he told himself that a two-hander would probably come. Which didn’t stop him from going to one of his favorite places.

« A feint, and there’s a blow. I’ve probably done this a thousand times with my brother over the summer. We work on this feint and release the shot. At that point, it’s just about trusting your instincts and everything you’ve worked for. And it’s always nice to get that last shot. So it was a good time », notes the Cameroonian who lost his headband while his teammates celebrated his gesture.

« I don’t think I’ve had many opportunities like this, to make that last shot, especially since I’ve been in Indiana. So it felt good to get the last hit (…). I was thinking about adding Ben (Maturin) for a second or two, but that idea quickly evaporated! », he laughs.

Described by his teammate Jay Huff as one of the most frustrated players on the team due to the Pacers’ poor start to the season, Siakam allowed himself a small moment of happiness. ” It is so deserved. He is truly a top professional and always positive. And when we go through difficult moments, whether it’s offensive failures or defensive mistakes, he encourages the youngsters a lot. And that makes a big difference for us “, the son coach said.

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How to read statistics? MJ = matches played; Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive jump; Tot = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; Points = Points.