Former New Mexico State men’s basketball forward Pascal Siakam recorded a double-double in the Indiana Pacers 111-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City,

Pascal Siakam reflects on his 6-year journey back to the NBA Finals, leading the Indiana Pacers into a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

When the Pacers traded for Siakam two Januarys ago and later re-signed him, he was seen as the type of star for whom the Pacers had to settle. Indianapolis, being a non-glamour market, would never get a superstar to pair with Haliburton, so they had to search elsewhere. Siakam would have to be good enough. Across the board, he has been.