Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam channeled his inner Michael Jordan in their home game against the OKC Thunder on Thursday. He brought out the iconic shrug that "MJ" did in the 1992 NBA Finals after he drained a 3 from the top of the key.
The play took place in the opening half of the game. The two-time NBA All-Star fielded a pass from guard Andrew Nembhard before rising to take a 3 over the outstretched arm of Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein.
The ball went in as the shot clock expired, leaving Siakam surprisingly delighted and moving him to do a Jordan-esque shrug for the hometown fans to see.
Watch Siakam's shrug after his made 3 here:
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The shrug is one of many iconic highlights Jordan had during his legendary NBA career. It happened after he hit his sixth 3-pointer in the opening half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers. After hitting the trey over defender Cliff Robinson, Jordan shook his head then glanced at the broadcast booth and did the "What can I say?" shrug.
Meanwhile, Pascal Siakam and Co. had themselves a game against the Western Conference-leading Thunder. They, however, went on to lose 120-114, halting a five-game winning streak while dropping to 15-16 for the season.
Siakam had a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds on the night, with Andrew Nembhard top-scoring with 23 points. The Pacers face the defending champions Boston Celtics next at TD Garden on Friday.
Pascal Siakam says he has found a home with Pacers
Pascal Siakam now calls Indiana home after he signed a four-year, $188.95 million contract to remain a Pacer for the next four years.
He made it official back in July when he put pen on paper after an impressive first season in Indiana, where he landed after being traded by the Toronto Raptors midway last season.
Siakam shared his thoughts on staying with the Pacers, highlighting how excited he was about continuing what he started with the team and how they are collectively progressing and succeeding together.
"I'm just super excited about the future of the team. I just can't wait for us to continue to get to work," the one-time NBA champion said via Sports Illustrated.
"It was great. Just them taking the time and coming, just talking with me. And I think for me, it's just getting to know each other. They get to know who I am as a player, as a competitor. For me, the goals were there. I always want to be [on] a team that aspired to win ... we just had everything aligned for us," he added.
Since arriving in Indiana, Siakam has been good for 20.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists while helping the Pacers to renewed competitiveness.
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