John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Pascal Siakam Shows Just How Far He's Come in Raptors Victory Over Celtics
It was 18 months ago that Pascal Siakam walked off the court in Toronto the scapegoat for the Toronto Raptors. He wasn't entirely to blame for Toronto's Game 7 loss to the Celtics, but mostly. His 14.9 points per game in that series on 38.2% shooting wasn't going to cut it from a player with superstar aspirations.
"I take a lot of the blame," he said on that September 11, 2020 evening in the Orlando Bubble. "It's a learning experience. ... A lot of people go through these moments and I just feel like it's about responding. What are you going to get from it? Are you going to take it as a learning experience or are you going to feel sorry for yourself?"
On Monday, against a very different looking Boston Celtics team, Boston had no answers for the now-27-year-old Raptors star whose 40 points allowed Toronto to eke out a 115-112 victory at Scotiabank Arena.
In that year and a half since the Bubble playoffs, Siakam has taken his game to a whole new level. His playmaking is better than ever and his first step and spin move have returned to an All-NBA level.
“I think I’m continuing to get better. It’s been a good long road for me and, again, I just always believed all the work I have put in is going to pay off," said Siakam. "No matter tough times or great times, I just want to stay focused on the grind and continue to get better as a player."
Everyone Boston threw his way was just lunch meat for the 6-foot-9 forward who dropped 25 points in the first half alone. All 12 of his buckets came in the paint as he cooked Derrick White and Daniel Theis for a pair of first-half and-1s. Even when Boston adjusted, he came up clutch for the Raptors in the fourth with a driving layup to pull Toronto to within two in the final minute before a pair of free throws forced overtime.
"I already have seen what he can do just from guarding it. But he's just taken it to a whole 'nother level. 40s? It's getting crazy. He's been phenomenal. He's been amazing," said Thad Young who came off the bench and scored 12 points in his best game as a Raptor.
That's when the complexity and breadth of Siakam's evolution really came out. He was the engine for Toronto's entire offense in overtime, forced to create for himself and others in the half-court. He stepped up for big-time buckets down the stretch, but it was his defense with five fouls that really kept the Raptors alive as a pair of blocks allowed Toronto to clinch it with a pair of free throws from Gary Trent Jr.
"It’s a tough line you have to walk through and it’s hard. For me, it was just instinct and doing whatever I felt at the time. For the longest time I thought I had four fouls, to be honest with you, when I had five fouls," Siakam said. "Maybe if I didn’t think that I would’ve been a little less aggressive but I just wanted to make plays and we needed those plays."
Raptors Overlook Celtics Early
Toronto has a bad tendency of overlooking the league's worst teams. While Boston doesn't quite fit that description, the Celtics without Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams III, and Al Horford might. A lack of concentration in the first quarter allowed the Celtics to jump up by double digits in the first quarter thanks to a barrage of three-pointers Toronto couldn't contest. Things were far too easy for the Celtics who saw Marcus Smart break out for 28 points.
"I knew it was tough mentally on us to see those guys out," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. "I knew it was gonna be tough on us and I knew those guys were really good. We've seen them play before and you guys saw ‘em play tonight."
Playoff Picture
A loss by the Chicago Bulls has moved the Raptors into a tie for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
"And how many out of first? Three and a half? Geez, that’s pretty close. It's pretty close to first place," Nurse said.
Raptors Honor Canadian Soccer Team
If Canada's 4-0 victory over Jamaica on Sunday afternoon didn't already prove that this country loves the beautiful game, then the reception the Canadian Men's National Soccer Team received at Scotiabank Arena certainly did.
"I think the aftermath of the texts and things that I got kind of sums it up of people relating to the tremendous passion, pride those people are playing with for their country," Nurse said pre-game. "Congratulations to those guys. It was really a long wait, a long haul, and they’ve been tremendous through this whole thing.”
Evan Mobley Injured
Evan Mobley injured his left ankle in Cleveland and did not return Monday night for the Cavaliers. If the Cavaliers rookie does end up missing time, it could tilt the Rookie of the Year race in Scottie Barnes' favor.
Up Next: Minnesota Timberwolves
The Raptors will wrap up their homestand Wednesday night when former assistant coach Chris Finch and the Minnesota Timberwolves come to town for a 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff.
