Pacers' Pascal Siakam fires back at reporter after Game 5 loss
The Indiana Pacers were already reeling from a 121-91 loss in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but the tension continued postgame thanks to an awkward moment involving forward Pascal Siakam and a reporter.
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Following the blowout defeat at Madison Square Garden, Siakam was asked by longtime columnist Gregg Doyel to clarify a comment he had made about the Pacers' lack of fight. The exchange, captured in a video posted by Bleacher Report on X (formerly Twitter), quickly became a trending topic.
The clip showed Siakam trying to stay composed, but his frustration was apparent. The tone in the room shifted quickly, and what started as a routine postgame interview turned into an uncomfortable exchange that reflected the emotional weight of a high-stakes playoff loss.
The reporter began by questioning whether Siakam could 'make sense' of how Indiana failed to match the Knicks' intensity. When Doyel pressed again, Siakam appeared visibly annoyed.
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The veteran forward, who scored 15 points in the loss, had previously acknowledged the Knicks' superior energy postgame. But Doyel's attempt to double down on that quote clearly rubbed Siakam the wrong way.
'What do you mean?' Siakam replied.
Doyel repeated the line of questioning, prompting Siakam to defend his team's effort.
The moment escalated when the Pacers forward turned the focus onto Doyel directly.
'Well, what about you? Tell me. So go ahead. Who's this guy? What's your name, bro? Oh. You good?'
The back-and-forth quickly made its way around the internet, with fans divided on whether Siakam was unfairly baited or simply frustrated after the Pacers lost Game 5. Doyel has also drawn recent criticism for a prior incident involving WNBA star Caitlin Clark.
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Despite the drama, Indiana still holds a 3-2 lead in the NBA Playoffs series. Game 6 returns to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Pacers will have a chance to close out the series and advance to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals.
On the court or at the podium, playoff pressure finds its way into every moment.
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