NBA FINALS: THUNDER VS. PACERS

June 15, 2025

Pascal Siakam

Indiana Pacers

Practice Day

Q. Pascal, I want to ask you about Coach [Marvin] Mack, a guy that has been standing outside the locker room for years. He has always said pleasantries to you. Wanted to see what your thoughts are on him?

PASCAL SIAKAM: Wait, who?

Q. Coach Mack, the attendant outside the visiting locker room.

PASCAL SIAKAM: Yeah, it's good. Good. It's great to have all the support. To have that is amazing. Means a lot to us.

Q. Your team is a relatively young team and obviously in the Finals for the first time. What have you made of their ability to adjust, all the stuff that goes into playing good teams over and over again? You've been through it, but just standing aside, how have you seen your team manage it, and why do you think they have managed it well?

PASCAL SIAKAM: I think the experience from last year was great for us. Being in those games, that mattered a lot. I think we have learned a lot from those games.

Just being now at this stage, I just think that we've had those games under our belts where the guys feel comfortable that when we haven't done things well, we are able to correct it.

I think that experience is there. we've been in those situations enough for us to understand what it takes.

Q. You've been guarded by Caruso, a versatile player. What challenges does he pose when you're facing up with him? And seeing more of him down the stretch, what challenges does he pose?

PASCAL SIAKAM: I don't know. I think we've just got to keep playing, being ourselves. Just play Pacers basketball.

Q. Certain foul calls or non-calls seem to get into fans' heads and they get upset when it goes against their team. How do you guys guard against calls that you particularly disagree with getting into your heads and derailing what you're trying to do?

PASCAL SIAKAM: Just got to keep playing. There's nothing you can do about it. Just got to keep playing and find a way to be ourselves no matter what. I'm not going to get into the little foul things. It is what it is. Just want to focus on the game.

Q. After the film session, what was the key takeaway for you to improve?

PASCAL SIAKAM: Yeah, I don't think I'm supposed to be giving away the game plan. But I think we've just got to be ourselves. I don't know how to answer that question -- I'm sorry.

Q. Your teammates talk about your leadership and how vocal you are on this team. If you go back to 2019 in Toronto, how different were you as a leader back then, and how vocal were you on that team? They talk about how you bring that up now, telling them, don't take this for granted, realize what the opportunity is. How did that shape you?

PASCAL SIAKAM: Well, I wasn't a leader then. On the floor, I was one of the guys that would go and get things to happen for us. But off the court, I was year three. We had so many veterans on our team that had been through way more than I could ever imagine as a player. I was mostly just grateful I had those guys around and leaning into their confidence and the way they played to help me just play my game and be free.

I think this time around, just having been one of the only guys that has been there or one of the few guys that has been there, and I'm year nine or ten or whatever, it's like I have way more to say and I can impact not only by saying things but also on the floor.

Just having years under my belt and also the experience, I'm able to, again, say what I think. But at the same time, I always say everyone is going to have to get through it on their own. I can tell you whatever, but you have to experience it yourself. I think the most [important] thing is just be yourself and do the things that got us here in the first place, and we can't change it now.

Q. How have you seen this group grow defensively in the year and a half you've been here and get to this level and throughout the playoffs?

PASCAL SIAKAM: When I first got here most of the narrative was they play fast, they don't play defense, right? That was the thing. I've seen the growth of everyone. The coaches have been doing an awesome job preparing us for games, and everyone is willing to put the effort in.

Also, I think when you see the results from the defense, you have no choice but to commit to it. I think the guys have been tremendous. I can name so many guys. Obviously Drew, kind of like the leader where he is going to go out after the best player every single night. Double A. Myles blocking shots. So many people doing things.

But it's mostly the team defense and everyone is committed to it, I would say.

Q. Considering how Game 4 ended, I think it's fair to say that Indiana Pacers missed a good opportunity to go up 3-1. Since this can be a long, exhausting series, do you think that being relaxed, to forget all the things --

PASCAL SIAKAM: We've got to move on. We have a game tomorrow. I think we've got to understand what's at stake here. As much as we want to win, I'm sure that the guys over there want to do the same.

Every game is going to be a battle. I don't really look at things that way, like missed opportunity or whatever. We all go into this wanting to win, and sometimes you're going to win and sometimes you're going to lose.

I think we've just got to move on. That's something that we've been good at, is just moving on to the next. No matter what the odds are and no matter what it is, we always believe in ourselves and we go out there and give it our best and we live with the results.

I don't look at anything in life as like a missed opportunity. I always know that there's something coming up. You've just got to believe and move on to the next and do everything that we've been doing to get to where we're at today. We're going to keep doing that.