The Toronto Raptors lost two games in a row but followed it up with back-to-back games to level the series. Despite the momentum being on their side, they got blown out by the Celtics in Game 5. Pascal Siakam had yet another sub-par game but managed to find himself on the highlight reel. But not how he would have liked it.
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During the first quarter, Celtics’ Daniel Theis grabbed a rebound and was attempting a dunk. Siakam, who jumped for a block attempt, kicked Theis in the face as he was landing. Former WWE star Mick Foley instantly recognized that kick and tweeted about it.
If you look closely, you can see @pskills43 whisper “I love you” to @dtheis10 before this epic superkick!@NBAonTNT #celticsvsraptors @celtics @Raptors https://t.co/vvh3aoN1fL
— Mick Foley (@RealMickFoley) September 8, 2020
Foley referred to the 2008 WrestleMania fight between Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair. Michaels hit Flair with his signature kick not unlike that of Siakam. But right before that, he said, “I’m sorry I love you.”
Can Pascal Siakam perform in the do or die game?
Last night, Siakam shot just nine times but converted five of those attempts. But he was ineffective throughout the game and ended up playing just 28 minutes due to foul trouble.
Since the start of this series, Siakam has been terrible. He is averaging 18 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting a miserable 21% from beyond the arc.
But in the regular season, he was a sight to witness. He put up 22.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game and shot a respectable 45% from the field.
Being the best player on the team, he has gone AWOL when his team needed him the most. Shooting guard Fred VanVleet struggling side by side has hurt the Raptors even more.
During the post-game press conference, Head Coach Nick Nurse expressed his disappointment over Siakam’s play. He said, “I’m not sure why he’s been so out of rhythm. He hasn’t had a lot of great games. It’s too bad because he was spectacular in last year’s Playoffs and spectacular all year long.”
Game 6 is all or nothing for the Raptors. Down 2-3, they have to show up tomorrow and fight to keep the series alive. After looking like worthy defending champions earlier, they seemingly lack the killer instinct to repeat their success from last year this time around.
