Indiana Pacers star Pascal Siakam had a tense exchange with a reporter following his team’s loss to the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night.
The Knicks kept their season alive and now trail 3-2 in the series after beating the Pacers 111-94 at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. Siakam, who finished with 15 points and 6 rebounds, said in his postgame news conference that the Knicks “played harder” than Indiana on loose balls and rebounds.
Siakam’s assessment of the loss did not sit well with Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star, who asked how it is possible for a team to not play hard enough in a playoff game with such high stakes. Siakam felt it was pretty self-explanatory.
“What are you talking about?” Siakam replied. “They played harder than us. It’s okay. We played hard, but they played harder. What’s your point? I don’t get it.”
Doyel then doubled down and challenged Siakam to explain how the Pacers would fail to give full effort in an Eastern Conference Finals game.
“That happens in the game, though. That’s basketball,” Siakam said. “You good? You good, bro? You’re looking for something, I know, but damn. I told you. What else do you want me to tell you?”
Pascal Siakam on reporter's question after Game 5 loss: "Who is this guy?" pic.twitter.com/PDqOj0nJgm
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) May 30, 2025
Siakam probably felt that the reporter’s line of questioning came across like a lecture. The point Doyel was trying to make is that you would expect both teams to give maximum effort in every playoff game, but there are times when that goes against human nature.
The Pacers were leading 3-1 heading into Game 5, so it was probably difficult for them to match the Knicks’ urgency. The Knicks were also at home and able to feed off of their home crowd, which is a factor.
Maybe Siakam will be motivated to play harder in Game 6 to avoid similar questions. Though, Doyel is known for having awkward interactions with players, as he was once suspended over a creepy exchange he had with Caitlin Clark.
