After blowing out the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1, the Toronto Raptors seemed well on their way to a berth in the Conference Finals. Less than a week later, though, Nick Nurse's team suddenly finds itself in a 2-1 hole, one made deeper than it seems given the injury status of one of its best players.
Pascal Siakam is currently listed as doubtful for Sunday's crucial Game 4 with a calf injury. Though he claims he doesn't know when he suffered the injury, the third-year forward admitted that his tender calf is on the same leg he used to trip Joel Embiid in the fourth quarter, an intentional act that drew a flagrant foul after video review.
Regardless of how the injury occurred, the Raptors can at least take solace in the fact that Siakam incurred no structural damage to his calf, as Nurse told Josh Lewenberg of TSN on Saturday.
Nurse said there's nothing seriously or structurally wrong with Siakam's calf, stresses he hasn't been ruled out yet. He mentioned VanVleet, Powell, Ibaka and McCaw as potential starters if Pascal is out. "None of it is ideal matchup-wise."
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 4, 2019
Siakam, the prohibitive favorite to win Most Improved Player, has been even better in the playoffs than he was during a breakout regular season. He's averaging 22.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game so far in the postseason, while shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Obviously, the Raptors, who promised to give Kawhi Leonard more scoring help after Game 3, will really miss Siakam offensively if he's unable to play, but it's the other side of the ball where his absence could loom largest. With O.G. Anunoby sidelined, Toronto has no one other than Siakam and Leonard with the necessary combination of length, strength, and athleticism to toggle between Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, and Tobias Harris without incident.
There's still a chance Siakam plays in Game 4. Here's hoping he's able to give it a go without feeling too much discomfort.
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