Siakam shows he’s among NBA’s elite in Raptors’ loss
What does it say about the rapid development of Pascal Siakam that, for much of Friday’s game, it was him and not three of the NBA’s best players who stole the show?
Probably that it won’t be long before Siakam joins former league MVP Russell Westbrook, former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and MVP candidate Paul George at all-star weekend.
A couple of days after dropping 33 points, 13 rebounds and six assists on Oklahoma City, the 24-year-old was at it again, starting Friday night’s contest 6-for-7 from the field, while doing a superb job of guarding the ultraexplosive, always-in-motion Westbrook.
That the Raptors fell 116-109 to a reeling Oklahoma City Thunder squad fighting for its playoff life didn’t matter all that much. Not with Siakam showcasing tantalizing playoff possibilities. If he can trouble a dominant point guard like Westbrook, despite being so much bigger, and if Leonard can check any forward, the post-season Raptors won’t be easy to score against. It will probably wear down opponents who will also have to contend with one of the NBA’s best offences.
Siakam finished with 25 points, Leonard caught fire late to finish with 37 and Danny Green hit six three-pointers on the way to 19 points. It wasn’t enough, with George dropping 28, Westbrook notching an 18-point, 13-assist, 12-rebound triple-double, and Dennis Schroder adding 26 points and seven assists off the bench for a Thunder team that nailed 20 three-pointers. The number is the most Toronto has ever surrendered in a game (Brooklyn also hit 20 last month).
The Raptors moved the ball beautifully early on, but with a good defensive Thunder team picking things up on that end and turnovers becoming an issue, the Raptors went nearly exclusively to Leonard down the stretch, with mixed results.
The Thunder had lost four straight and 10 of 14 to sink in the playoff chase in the West and needed the game far more than Toronto. Still, they needed a 20-3 run in the third quarter on some torrid outside shooting to pull off the comeback.
LOWRY BACK NEXT WEEK?
All-star point guard Kyle Lowry missed his second straight game due to a sprained ankle, and it doesn’t sound as if he’ll play on Sunday, either.
“Just whenever that soreness goes away and he feels like he’s ready to go, he’s ready to go,” Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said.
SIAKAM AWARDED
Siakam’s work on the court hasn’t gone unnoticed, but neither has his efforts off the floor. The Raptors forward received
the February NBA Cares Community Assist Award on Friday “in recognition of his efforts to empower and inspire youth in both local and global communities.”
The league selects one player each month “who best reflects the passion that the league and its players share for giving back to their communities.”
The native of Cameroon visits schools across the country and is an ambassador for Right To Play, an organization that will receive $10,000 thanks to this Siakam honour.
He also is a representative for the Sun Life Dunk for Diabetes program.
Siakam will receive his award before Sunday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets.
NO LOAD MANAGEMENT
There was some thought among the media and fans that Leonard might get the night off, having played less than 48 hours previously in Oklahoma City, but that wasn’t the case, and it sounds as if his minutes won’t be trending down in the final weeks of the regular season.
“I just think he’s in a really good position. There’s no thought from him to ease back, no thought that was too many minutes (on Wednesday),” Nurse said.