Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam was not even guaranteed to play in his teams Game 4 matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. After he sustained a right calf contusion, he was expected to be held out of the starting lineup. Thankfully for the Raptors, he gutted out 29 minutes, and the Raptors escaped with a 101-96 win.

Fans looking at the boxscore will cringe at Siakam's stats: He shot a terrible two of ten from the field and failed to make a field goal in the first half. Additionally, he was the only Toronto starter with a negative plus/minus.

However, those who watched the game will rightfully recognize that Siakam's presence helped the Raptors win a key Game 4. Even while he was not making shots, Siakam was a defensive force. The Sixers frontcourt struggled to score all game. Tobias Harris, who Siakam switched on to several times, shot a forgettable seven of 23 from the field. The rest of Philly's frontcourt shot combined six of 22 from the field.

Even while struggling with his shot early, Siakam stayed involved in the game. He missed three wide open threes to begin the game but remained locked in on defense, fighting through screens and crashing the defensive glass to help negate the Sixers imposing length.

Without the Cameroonian native, the Raptor would have been forced to start a bench player, most likely Serge Ibaka. The bench has been notoriously poor this series and forcing Ibaka into a starting role would've weakened it even further.

Siakam's defensive efforts and the fact that he gave the Raptors 29 serviceable minutes could preserve their championship hopes.