There were questions whether Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam would even play in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals right up until the teams took the floor to warm up. Siakam is dealing with a right calf contusion but fought through it to play 28 minutes on Sunday afternoon. The Cameroonian native told Raptors beat reporter Josh Lewenberg that his calf bothered him, but was good enough to play on:
Siakam said his calf was very sore pre-game, but felt like he could play through it. Didn't want to make excuses, but said it might have limited his lateral movement. It's something he has to continue to monitor/treat, but said he'll play in Game 5.
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 5, 2019
Siakam certainly didn't look like his natural self. He shot two of ten from the field and failed to make a three-pointer, going zero of four from beyond the arc. He did not make a field goal until the second half and finished with nine points.
Fortunately, he was able to contribute on defense. The lanky forward helped the Raptors play some solid team defense and forced the Philadelphia 76ers frontcourt into some tough shots that they failed to convert.
Additionally, playing 28 minutes lightened the load on Toronto's bench, which has struggled this series. Of the four players for the Raptors that saw time off the bench, only Serge Ibaka scored. The remaining three players (Fred VanVleet, Patrick McCaw, and Norman Powell) shot zero of five from the field in a combined 15 minutes.
Unfortunately for Siakam, the Most Improved Player candidate won't get much of a break. The Raptors and Sixers return to Canada for Game 5, which takes place on Tue, May 7, at 5 PM PST. Raptors fans will hope that a combination of homecourt advantage and adrenaline can get Siakam back to the player he was before the injury.
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