Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam put forth arguably the biggest performance of his career on Friday night as he led his team to a 98-93 Game 3 victory against the Orlando Magic. The 24-year-old's outburst was so impressive that it actually stands out as one of the best playoff performances in Raptors history.
Pascal Siakim produced 31 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists in last night's win. No other player in @Raptors history has matched or exceeded each of those totals in a single playoff game.
— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) April 20, 2019
This is definitely a remarkable achievement for Siakam considering how the Raptors have been perennial playoff contenders for the longest time. As it turns out, not even Toronto's former adopted son DeMar DeRozan was unable to reach these heights during his spell with the Raptors.
Siakam was also highly efficient against the Nets, as he went 13-of-20 from the floor and 3-of-4 from rainbow territory, without committing a single turnover in 42 minutes of action.
The Raptors needed every bit of Siakam's heroics in this one with both Kawhi Leonard (16 points on 5-of-19 shooting, six turnovers) and Kyle Lowry (12 points on 4-of-10 shooting) putting in rather pedestrian performances.
On the other end of the court, Nikola Vucevic's monster 22-point, 14-rebound double-double (with two three-pointers, six assists, a steal, and three blocks) ultimately proved to be in vain, as Toronto was able to give themselves a 2-1 lead in the series.
That's now back-to-back wins for the Raptors after losing Game 1 in their home floor. Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday night in what will definitely be a series-defining contest for both squads. Another win for the Raptors would put them in the driver's seat, while an Orlando victory will bring us back to square one with the series tied entering Game 5.
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