For weeks, the Toronto Raptors were in a state of confusion, unable to remedy what ailed them as they scuffled to a six-game losing streak. Fred VanVleet tried his best with a few 39-point explosions, but nothing seemed to be enough. But finally, it was Pascal Siakam who took matters into his own hands.
On Wednesday night, Spicy P poured his all against the New York Knicks in the mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden. In 41 minutes of action, Pascal Siakam dropped a career-high 52 points on an incredible 17-25 shooting from the field and a pristine 16-18 from the foul line. Still, amid a historic night, Siakam knows that getting a much-needed victory trumps whatever gaudy statlines he may have put up.
“But for me the more important thing is my team needed every bucket for us to win which is like the most important thing for me: wanting to get a win and making sure that we get back on the right track. Those guys out there are special and I just felt everyone needed that moment and I want everyone to be happy for each other and we haven't had an opportunity to cheer for a little bit, so I think it felt good,” Siakam said in his postgame interview, per Sportsnet Canada.
Siakam may have done the heavy lifting against the Knicks, but he wasn't alone in dragging Toronto to the finish line. Fred VanVleet, who finished with 28 points, hit some big shots, including a clutch three with less than two minutes left to extend the Raptors' lead to a two-possession game.
But thanks largely to Pascal Siakam's heroic efforts, the Raptors' turmoil stopped churning, at least for one night. And with around two-thirds of the season still to go, the Raptors have plenty of time to turn things around lest it becomes necessary for them to retool and trade away key pieces, none more prominent than OG Anunoby.
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