The preseason odds may not have favored the Indiana Pacers. But this team has made it a habit to be defiant. Even though the Cavaliers saw the miraculous return of Donovan Mitchell, the Pacers’ resilience stood out. Fueled by Tyrese Haliburton’s inspiring performance, the Pacers reached their second straight conference finals. But within the locker room, the veteran Pascal Siakam won’t allow for them to rise into celebrations just yet.
At times, the former Raptors All-Star does feel he may “kill the party”. The reason for him setting a high standard, though, is because he is aware of the Pacers’ potential. Siakam is someone who has been and won an NBA Finals. And having come one step short of going back there last season, he wants the Pacers to be fearless.
“I think we’re a little bit like we greedy at the end of the day. Like we feel like we’ve been here before. So I don’t think, like last year we could have been like man, this is the first time in a while that we were just here last year. So I think for us it’s just that focus got to shift like we got to be wanting more and to me that’s what I’m going to continue to preach to the guys,” he said during the post-game presser.
As the veteran on the team, Pascal Siakam wants to hit the message home. Last season, the Pacers surprised everyone by making it to the Conference Finals. However, their end was rather unceremonious. The franchise got swept by the Celtics, who eventually won the chip. Hence, having experienced what it’s like to be within touching distance of the Finals, this is the time for them to take the next step.
May 11, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) dribbles the ball during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
As a team, the NBA community might not rate them highly. They don’t harbor the biggest stars of the league. Rather, their cornerstone, Tyrese Haliburton, received the ‘overrated’ mantle. So the Pacers have plenty of motivation to upset the matrix. Several of their players have even seen some growth this season.
As a roster, their depth was a pivotal reason in their upsetting the number one-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. Moving forward, that’s the reason Haliburton believes the Pacers have what it takes to get the better of any of the remaining six teams in the postseason.
Tyrese Haliburton feels the Pacers are different
Many teams have depth in the league at this point in the season. Still, Tyrese Haliburton feels the Pacers are unique. Despite him being the star, Haliburton doesn’t lead the team in scoring. In addition, even as the focal playmaker, there isn’t a noticeable disparity in his and Andrew Nembhard’s assists. That’s where he thinks the Pacers have an edge.
“We’re different than every other team in the NBA. You know, we don’t just have one guy who scores all the points or, you know, we we I think we defeat teams in different ways… We’ve preached our depth all, you know, for the last couple years and, you know, it’s paying off now,” Haliburton mentioned about the Pacers.
In tonight’s closeout game, the two-time All-Star was sensational. He scored a team-high 31 points, splashing six threes in the Pacers’ comeback win in Game 5. He credits the team’s selflessness for his breakout performance. The Pacers had to ‘weather a storm’ from the Cavaliers, something the team expected going into the opposing arena.
But they continued to display resistance. Once that lead flipped in their favor after a “bu*****t” start to the third quarter per Haliburton, the Pacers never let go. Aside from him, Siakim supplied 21 points, Nembhard was efficient with 18 and 6 assists, and Myles Turner made huge plays on the defensive end.
Although there is a belief that the Pacers have overloaded on offense, they rely more on their momentum. They managed to hold the Cavaliers to just 10 assists while forcing 11 turnovers. Moreover, for the series, the Pacers had five guys averaging more than 14 points.
Their rivals may view Tyrese Haliburton as the biggest threat. But there is no hierarchy within the Indiana Pacers. They have a number of players who are capable of having those big nights. In the playoffs, that is a ravishing quality that the Pacers proved is great enough to squash giants.
Now, they are the ones waiting. Either the Knicks or the Celtics will be pitted against their electric team. But this time around, they don’t just have experience; the Pacers are also extremely confident with their depth.
The post Pascal Siakam Demands Major Change in Pacers Locker Room as Tyrese Haliburton Fires Warning at 6 NBA Teams appeared first on EssentiallySports.