The Indiana Pacers have clearly missed Tyrese Haliburton in the clutch all season. But in Monday night's 98-96 victory against the Boston Celtics, Pascal Siakam and the Pacers proved that they can still win without their All-NBA guard when the pressure is on.
Pascal Siakam has been coming through in the clutch
According to NBA.com, the Pacers are 5-13 in clutch games this season. This ranks as the fifth-worst record in the league. Additionally, their 17.1 3FG% in the clutch ranks last in the NBA.
Regardless, the Pacers defeated the Celtics on Monday to secure their second clutch win in three games. This largely has to do with Siakam. Not only did he hit the game-winning shot against Boston with six seconds left, but he also scored six points of 3-for-4 shooting in the fourth quarter. No other player on either team had more than five points in the quarter.
Additionally, against the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 8, Siakam made a game-winning layup with 11 seconds left in the game. He also scored a team-high eight points in the fourth quarter while shooting 3-for-5 from the field.
After the game, Pacers teammate Quenton Jackson spoke about Siakam's presence in the clutch and how much confidence he has in him with the ball in his hands late in the game (h/t Tony East of Forbes).
"Bar-be-cue chicken. I already know what's coming. Everytime Pascal catches the ball, the camera needs to pan to me, not him. I already know it's a bucket," Jackson said after Monday's victory against the Celtics.
Asked Quenton Jackson about Pascal Siakam and his late-game shot making.
— Tony East (@TonyREast) January 13, 2026
"Bar-be-cue chicken. I already know what's coming. Everytime Pascal catches the ball, the camera needs to pan to me, not him. I already know it's a bucket."
Postgame: https://t.co/SZOyfAW7H3 pic.twitter.com/kF6Pz53eBC
Last season was all about resilience and clutch moments for the Pacers. And a lot of that had to do with Haliburton, who shot 6-for-7 on game-tying or go-ahead field goal attempts in the last 90 seconds throughout the postseason.
It's clear that the Pacers miss him a lot this season, especially in the clutch. But at the very least, they are proving that they can still get it done when they need to. It just won't always look pretty.
As for Siakam, even despite the team's struggles, he has continued to remind the basketball world just how impactful he truly is.
Through 39 games this season, the Cameroon native has averaged 23.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 48.4% from the field and 37% from deep. Siakam is putting together another All-Star-level season, and he has stepped up numerous times now that the Pacers need him more than ever.
There is still a lot of basketball left this season. But even so, Pacers fans should feel happy with the way the team has played amid their three-game winning streak. Whether this is a sign of things to come or not remains to be seen, but at the very least, fans can feel a bit more confident in their ability to show up in the clutch, especially with Siakam leading the way.