by Wheat Hotchkiss
Wednesday will be an emotional night for Pacers forward Pascal Siakam, as he makes his return to Toronto for Indiana’s game against the Raptors.
The Raptors originally drafted Siakam with the 27th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and the 6-8 forward from Cameroon blossomed into one of the league’s stars while in Toronto. He won the league’s Most Improved Player award in 2018-19, helped lead the Raptors to their first NBA title the next season, and made two All-Star and two All-NBA teams over his time with Toronto.
The Pacers acquired Siakam from the Raptors last month in exchange for Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and three first-round picks. Siakam has fit right in in Indiana, averaging 21.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists over his first 14 games as a Pacer, shooting 57.9 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from 3-point range.
Siakam should receive a warm reception in his return to Toronto. While emotions will be running high, the Pacers (30-25) really want to find a way to pick up a win heading into the All-Star break.
The Blue & Gold have dropped two of their last three games, including a disappointing 111-102 defeat on Monday night in Charlotte.
“We didn’t play with the kind of urgency from start to finish that we needed to have,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s as simple as that.”
The loss slipped Indiana into seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings, an important distinction as the top six teams at the end of the regular season avoid the Play-In Tournament and advance directly to the playoffs.
The Raptors (19-35) are in a rebuilding season and have dropped two straight, five of seven, and 10 of 13. They’ve greatly reconfigured their roster over the course of the season, making four trades between Dec. 30 and the deadline.
In addition to Siakam, they’ve dealt away OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, Malachi Flynn, Dennis Schroder, Thaddeus Young, Kira Lewis Jr., and Otto Porter Jr. Beyond Brown and Nwora, they’ve brought in RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Ochai Agbaji, and Kelly Olynyk.
The one constant this season has been Scottie Barnes, the 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year. The 6-7 forward has enjoyed a career year, starting all 54 games for Toronto and averaging 19.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.2 steals. Barnes was rewarded last week with his first All-Star selection.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Raptors: G – Immanuel Quickley, G – Gary Trent Jr., F – RJ Barrett, F – Scottie Barnes, C – Jakob Poeltl
Injury Report
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton – questionable (left hamstring injury management), Bennedict Mathurin – questionable (right knee bruise), James Johnson – out (illness), Jalen Smith – out (lower back spasms), Jarace Walker – out (G League assignment)
Raptors: RJ Barrett – questionable (personal reasons)
Last Meeting
Nov. 22, 2023: The Raptors outlasted the Pacers in a back-and-forth contest at Gainbridge Fieldhouse that featured 26 lead changes, coming away with a 132-131 win. Indiana led 129-128 following Tyrese Haliburton’s floater with 31 seconds remaining, but Scottie Barnes’ three-point play on the other end gave the visitors the lead for good.
Pascal Siakam led the Raptors with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists against his former team. Dennis Schroder added 26 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Barnes finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and four steals.
Haliburton led Indiana with 33 points and 16 assists in the loss. Buddy Hield added 31 points and five assists while going 7-for-12 from 3-point range. Myles Turner tallied 17 points, eight boards, and two blocks.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers won at Scotiabank Arena last season on March 22, snapping a 15-game regular-season losing streak in Toronto. Prior to that, Indiana had not won a regular season game in Toronto since March 1, 2013.
- The Pacers and Raptors will play twice more after the All-Star break: on Feb. 26 in Indianapolis and on April 9 in Toronto.
- Indiana’s roster features two Canadians in second-year guards Bennedict Mathurin (Montreal) and Andrew Nembhard (Aurora).
- All eyes will be on Indianapolis this weekend for NBA All-Star 2024. Haliburton will be starting the All-Star Game and also participating in the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest. Mathurin and Myles Turner will team up with Haliburton in the Skills Challenge, and Mathurin and Oscar Tshiebwe will take part in the Rising Stars event.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings)
TV: Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)
Originally posted on pacers.com