1. Pascal Siakam
Opponent: Portland Trailblazers
Stat line: 36 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 54% shooting
Just like with VanVleet, this was a bounce-back game for Pascal Siakam. Coming from a loss to the Clippers where he only shot 6-17, Siakam saw a much easier matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers and a weak frontline.
Just like any Raptor other than VanVleet, Siakam started slow. He only had four points in the first quarter as the Raptors trailed early. It was more of the same in the 2nd quarter as Siakam only scored seven to push his points tally to 11 at half time.
But Siakam came alive in the second half. He scored 11 points in the third quarter while also assisting on three points and grabbing an offensive rebound. He did not stop there as he allowed the Raptors to pull away from the Blazers with a 14 point fourth-quarter performance.
While the free throws weren’t there in this game, he was effective from even deeper. He hit four 3s, continuing to show off his insane improvement this season from beyond the arc. The efficiency has been down for Siakam, but that comes with taking on a much bigger offensive load and having opponents locking in on you on a nightly basis. Expect that to rise as he gets more comfortable.
The dream season continues for Siakam as this is now his fifth game in 12 that he has scored 30+ points. He continues to remain healthy and play at a high level for the Raptors as they continue to climb in the Eastern Conference Standings. The best is yet to come.