Pascal Siakam Wows NBA Fans as Haliburton, Pacers Beat Lillard, Bucks Without Giannis

Damian Lillard helped the Milwuakee Bucks steal Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday without Giannis Antetokounmpo available. Pascal Siakam one-upped him on Tuesday.

The star forward popped off in Game 2, posting 37 points, 11 rebounds and six assists during Indiana's 125-108 win over the Bucks.

Milwaukee, who was without Antetokounmpo yet again, was led by a strong performance from Dame (34 points, five assists) and Brook Lopez (22 points), but it wasn't enough to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.

Instead, Siakam and Myles Turner (22 points, seven boards, six assists, three blocks) led a resurgent performance to even the series for Indiana. Those efforts were needed on a night where Tyrese Haliburton struggled to contribute as a scorer, finishing 4-of-10 from the field for 12 points, though he did add 12 assists.

But Siakam was the story, and fans and pundits on social media praised his big night:

Siakam has been cooking in the playoffs thus far. He went off for 36 points and 13 rebounds in Game 1, picking up the slack for another tough Haliburton offensive night (nine points, eight assists).

If Haliburton finds his scoring mojo again, the Pacers can start dreaming of an upset in this series, though the elephant in the room is the health of Giannis. If, or when, he returns to Milwaukee's roster, this becomes a different series.

Few rivalries have been better this season than Bucks vs. Pacers. Indiana is now 5-1 in the matchup, highlighted by the In-Season Tournament semifinal showdown and the "stealing the game ball" controversy in a later matchup.

Thus far, the first two games of the playoff clash haven't disappointed. It has largely been the Siakam vs. Lillard Show, and the former drew even on Tuesday.