Pacers star Pascal Siakam reveals truth behind scary NBA finals ritual after fans accused him of ‘devil magic’

By DANIEL MATTHEWS

Pacers star Pascal Siakam has lifted the lid on his disturbing pregame ritual ahead of Indiana’s win over the Thunder in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

Siakam helped the Pacers set up a mouthwatering Game 7 showdown with Oklahoma City with an emphatic 108-91 win in Indiana on Thursday night.

Before the game, however, as the Pacers huddled together, cameras caught the Cameroonian forward looking towards the ceiling with his eyes completely rolled back.

Only the whites of his eyes were visible and the clip soon went viral, with fans even joking that ‘devil magic’ was responsible for the Pacers’ series-saving win.

After the game, Siakam was shown the footage. He burst into laughter and said: ‘They said I was a demon?’

‘I wish I had a 30-point game or something so then I could’ve been like: “Yeah, the spirit took over!” 

Pacers star Pascal Siakam was spotted in a disturbing pregame ritual before the NBA Finals

Siakam’s routine clearly worked as he put up 16 points in a resounding win over the Thunder

‘I tried to close my eyes. I’m thinking that I’m closing them, but I’m not closing them… sometimes, I have to remind myself.’

He continued: ‘It used to happen a lot more, and I had to remind myself every time, “Close your eyes. Close your eyes.”‘

The clip sent social media into a frenzy, with one fan writing: ‘Everybody [is] praying and he [is] turning into the exorcist.’ Another asked:  ‘And you’re gonna tell me they don’t [do] devil magic?’

Siakam put up 16 points and 13 rebounds in a dominant victory for the Pacers.

Star man Tyrese Haliburton scored 14 points for the Pacers, who started slowly and then turned things into a blowout.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was on hand with 21 points for the Thunder, who pulled their starters from the game when they trailed by 30 going into the fourth. Jalen Williams added 16.

Indiana missed its first eight shots and got down 10-2. The arena, roaring just a few minutes before at the start, quieted quickly.

After the slow start, the Pacers outscored the Thunder 68-32 over the next 24 minutes. An Indiana team that hadn’t led by more than 10 points at any time in the first five games – and that double-digit lead was brief – led by 28 early in the third quarter. 

The margin eventually got to 31, which was Oklahoma City’s second-biggest deficit of the season.

Indiana’s huge win means the thrilling series will now be decided on Sunday night when the action moves back to Oklahoma for a decisive Game 7, the first one in the NBA Finals since 2016.

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Pacers star Pascal Siakam reveals truth behind scary NBA finals ritual after fans accused him of ‘devil magic’

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