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  • Mid-range mastery: Pascal Siakam scores 25 points
    Pascal Siakam shot 11-of-21 from the field and 3-of-4 from the foul line in Friday’s win over the Knicks, scoring 25 points with seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 31 minutes.

    Advice: After getting blown out in Game 5, the Pacers returned the favor in Game 6 to keep their season alive. And Siakam was a significant part of that. Spicy P shot 11-of-19 from two, doing a lot of his damage in the mid-range. He led six Pacers in double figures with 25 points, and all five starters grabbed at least six rebounds. Siakam and the Pacers will need a similar effort in Game 7 on Sunday, as they are 1-5 on the road this postseason. Rotoworld Yesterday, 8:07 pm
     
  • Records double-double
    Towns finished Thursday's 115-70 victory over Denver in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals with 10 points (4-10 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 13 rebounds and five assists across 29 minutes.

    Advice: Towns had a couple of clutch buckets in the early stages of the game, but for the most part, he took a backseat in the scoring column as Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels carried Minnesota offensively in this win. The Timberwolves need Towns to be at his best if they want to have a shot at winning a complicated Game 7 on the road, and for that to happen, he'll need to be even more aggressive on the offensive end of the court, an area in which he hasn't been consistent throughout the series. Towns has reached the 20-point mark in four of the six games he's played in the semis, and the Timberwolves have gone 3-1 in those contests. Rotowire.com Thursday, 9:02 pm
     
  • Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) scores team-high 23 PTS
    Karl-Anthony Towns (left knee soreness) amassed 23 points (10-of-19 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two 3-pointers in 38 minutes in Tuesday’s Game 5 loss to the Nuggets.

    Advice: Already playing without Mike Conley (Achilles), the Timberwolves experienced an injury scare with Towns during the first half of Tuesday’s game. He appeared to bang his knee on the leg of Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who lost his balance while closing out on the Timberwolves big. Towns did have to exit the game, but only briefly, as he returned after spending a few minutes on the exercise bike. The 23 points are the most KAT has scored in a game since Game 2 (27 points). However, his minus-17 rating was the worst among the Timberwolves who saw action on Tuesday. Towns will need to be better in Game 6 on Thursday if Minnesota is to force a Game 7. Rotoworld Tuesday, 10:46 pm
     
  • Scores 22 points in Game 5
    Siakam notched 22 points (7-for-15 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 6-7 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and one steal over 33 minutes in Tuesday's 121-91 loss to the Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Siakam was the only Pacer to score 20-plus points in Game 5, and he was the second-leading scorer for the game behind Jalen Brunson. Siakam managed to reach 20-plus points for the second time in three games, and he got some of those from the charity stripe after not attempting a single free throw in Game 4. Siakam is averaging 19.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Rotowire.com Tuesday, 8:25 pm
     
  • Briefly exits Tuesday
    Towns left Tuesday's game versus the Nuggets with 2:14 remaining in the first quarter due to an apparent left knee injury but checked back in with 1:23 left in the first quarter.

    Advice: Towns appeared to aggravate the left knee that he had surgically repaired in March after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope inadvertently tripped him, Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette reports. However, Towns missed less than a minute of game action and should be available to finish Tuesday's contest. Rotowire.com Tuesday, 8:11 pm
     
  • Pascal Siakam leads IND with 22 points in Game 5
    Pascal Siakam shot 7-of-15 from the field and 6-of-7 from the foul line in Tuesday’s Game 5 loss to the Knicks, accounting for 22 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers in 33 minutes.

    Advice: The good news for the Pacers is that Siakam appears to have gotten over his case of the “yips” at the foul line, making six of his seven attempts in Game 5. Spicy P had a solid night overall, but it didn’t mean much, with the Knicks grabbing a staggering 20 offensive rebounds. Siakam has scored 19 points or more in three of the five games in this series, and that’s the level of production they need from him consistently. Snapping his recent slumps from three and the foul line certainly helps. Game 6 is on Friday, with the Pacers needing a win to keep their season alive. Rotoworld Tuesday, 7:42 pm
     
  • Struggles from field Sunday
    Towns posted 13 points (5-18 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-4 FT), 12 rebounds, three assists and one steal in 38 minutes during Sunday's 115-107 loss to the Nuggets in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

    Advice: Towns might have ended with a double-double, and his overall stat line looked decent despite the loss. Still, his shooting woes are impossible to overlook, especially in a game where the Timberwolves needed him to provide a spark on offense. Towns needs to be better offensively for the Wolves. Otherwise, he forces players such as Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley to handle bigger roles on offense, and that's not a recipe for success. Towns is averaging 18.5 points per game while shooting 50.9 percent from the field in the series, and he needs to shake off this woeful showing in Game 5 on Tuesday. Rotowire.com Monday, 8:37 am
     
  • Karl-Anthony Towns can’t find his shot in Game 4
    Karl-Anthony Towns accounted for 13 points (5-of-18 FG), 12 rebounds, three assists, a steal and a three-pointer across 38 minutes in Sunday’s 115-107 loss to the Nuggets.

    Advice: Towns scored at least 20 points in Games 1 and 2 of the semifinals in Denver, but he failed to eclipse 14 points at home in Games 3 and 4. Towns has been mostly deferential on offense through eight postseason games, averaging 18.5 points on just 11.5 shots per contest. Anthony Edwards has been doing the heavy lifting as a scorer, and Towns has been chipping in as a rebounder and secondary scoring option. He’ll need to be much more efficient than this in Game 5 on Tuesday if Minnesota hopes to reclaim the series lead. Rotoworld Sunday, 8:15 pm
     
  • Pascal Siakam scores 14 points in Game 4 blowout
    Pascal Siakam shot 7-of-9 from the field in Sunday’s 121-89 win over the Knicks, scoring 14 points with four rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes.

    Advice: Siakam’s stat line was modest, but this was due to the nature of Game 4 more than anything else. With the Pacers leading 34-14 after the first quarter, Rick Carlisle had little reason to push his starters on Sunday afternoon. As a result, Spicy P only played 22 minutes and did not have much trouble getting to his spots when on the floor. With OG Anunoby unlikely to be available for Game 5 on Tuesday, dealing with Siakam is another issue for the Knicks. Indiana’s win on Sunday tied the series at two games each. Rotoworld Sunday, 3:29 pm