Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Luka Doncic Dazzles While Groin Injury for Pascal Siakam Mars Night For Raptors
Pascal Siakam made his mission clear at the start of this season: After being an All-Star and All-NBA player in the past, this year he wants to earn the nod as a top-five player in the league.
So far this year, the Toronto Raptors forward has put himself squarely in the conversation as one of the league's truly elite. He entered Friday night averaging 25.6 points, 7.9 assists, and 9.6 rebounds while shooting 47.7% from the field. Those stats made him one of only three players, alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James, averaging at least 25 points, seven assists, and nine rebounds.
And yet, if first-team All-NBA is what Siakam wants, an up-close look at Doncic in a 111-110 loss to the Dallas Mavericks showed just how special that tier truly is. When Dallas needed to stop the bleeding late, it was Doncic who took command, keeping his poise in the final moments, drawing a foul from O.G. Anunoby, and converting one of two free throws to clinch the victory.
Doncic was as advertised in a 35-point outing Friday night. The Raptors schemed up everything they could to stop the Mavericks magician, but despite relentless face-guarding, and double-teaming, there was still not much Toronto could do to stop the three-time All-NBA superstar. He nailed off-the-dribble three-pointers over Toronto's best defender Anunoby and toyed with the defense as if moving in slow motion with the ball, sending it between his legs and behind his back before finding an open teammate.
When Toronto's offense went silent to open the second half with nearly four scoreless minutes, Doncic couldn't be contained. He scored or assisted on every Mavericks bucket during Dallas' 14-2 run as the Mavericks by 17 early in the half. When the Raptors began climbing back, Doncic quelled the run, nailing a pair of turnaround jumpers to keep Toronto at bay.
Siakam did go toe to toe with Doncic in the first half, scoring 18 points before a groin injury forced him out of the game early in the third quarter. He awkwardly slipped on a wet spot and was ruled out with a right groin strain, the team said, finishing the night with seven rebounds, six assists, and two points shy of his ninth straight 20-point performance to start the season.
Those assist numbers for Siakam could have been much better had Toronto converted a handful of good looks in the first quarter. Gary Trent Jr. and Scottie Barnes missed three wide-open threes as Toronto Toronto mustered just 2-for-14 from behind the arc in the first frame.
Those shooting woes somehow changed once Siakam checked out. Barnes broke out of his passive funk in the fourth quarter, commanding Toronto's offense with three straight assisted buckets and six straight Raptors points as Toronto clawed to within four. He scored eight of his 11 points in the final frame, grabbing 11 rebounds on the night, and recording his 10th assist on the final bucket of the game to clinch his first career triple-double.
Up Next: Chicago Bulls
The Raptors will make a quick pitstop back home to open a home-and-home series with the Chicago Bulls tipping off Saturday night at 6 p.m. ET.
