NBA FINALS: THUNDER VS. PACERS

June 5, 2025

Pascal Siakam

Indiana Pacers

Game 1: Postgame

Pacers 111, Thunder 110

Q. Pascal, big change from first half to second half. Can you take me through the messages that were sent in the locker room, and did somebody step up to like keep you guys going?

PASCAL SIAKAM: Well, obviously we know we turned the ball over way too much. It's just not who we are but I mean credit to their defense, like they are just on another level in terms of just disrupting the game and making mistakes and stuff.

So we got to take care of the ball. I think in the second half, you know, we just kind of did a better job of just taking care of the ball a little bit, and again, they made some tough plays and we just kept going. We just kept going. Like I said, we always know that we have a chance.

So as long as we just keep playing and keep playing, but they played so good and just defensively and they are such a tough team for sure.

Q. This is one of the loudest arenas in the NBA but sometimes in the fourth quarter, we could hear like "Go Pacers, Go.’ How much does it mean to know that in one of the loudest arenas you can hear them?

PASCAL SIAKAM: Yeah, that was huge. Shout out to those guys. They are so passionate about us and we are so blessed to have them as fans. Just all the people that were here, just cheering us on in such a tough environment, but yeah, shout out to them. We’re going to need that support, obviously here, and also when we are at home.

Q. You guys have had so many comebacks in this postseason, and in a number of different ways but was there anything to tonight, you turn the ball over 19 times in the first half but you weren't really down, only 12. Was there a realization that you were still close despite those turnovers, and did that give you a little confidence?

PASCAL SIAKAM: I think obviously when you turn the ball over that much, you expect to be down 20-plus. So the fact that we were still in the game just for us is just, again, we know that keep it within distance and continue to play, stick to the game plan and take care of the turnovers, which is hard against a team like that, especially with the pace we play with.

So we got to do so much better. Like we know where we need to be in terms of just offense and some of the things that we need to do and how we want to play. So we got a lot of work to do. We've got to get back and get better.

Q. Take us through the process since you guys arrived here in the building earlier today, coming from a hostile crowd in New York, out here loud building here tonight. How did you guys manage the mental part of the game?

PASCAL SIAKAM: Yeah, like you said, it's a tough environment. The fans are incredible. Sometimes out there, it's hard to hear anything. For us, I think we've been in a lot of tough environments and we try to kind of use that experience and the fact that we have been in those situations before to try to settle us down.

I think earlier in the game, yeah, it was just so loud. But I thought we settled into the game and started playing our game a little bit more. But like I said, we have so much work to do and we have to get so much better because we didn't play to the level that we thought we could play.