NBA fans believe ‘devil magic’ was responsible for the Indiana Pacers’ series-saving victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder after cameras spotted Pascal Siakam in a disturbing pregame ritual.
The Pacers have set up a mouthwatering Game 7 showdown with the Thunder in this season’s NBA Finals after an emphatic 108-91 win in Indiana on Thursday night.
Before they blew Oklahoma City away at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Siakam could be seen going through a bizarre routine in the tunnel as he and his teammates huddled together for one last pep talk.
Television cameras captured the Cameroonian power forward glancing up at the ceiling with his eyes completely rolled back, leaving fans both baffled and slightly terrified on social media.
‘That man went to another place. Something happened here,’ one user posted on X.
‘Everybody praying & he turning into the exorcist,’ wrote another.
A third asked: ‘And you’re gonna tell me they don’t [do] devil magic?’
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
A fourth joked: ‘Sold his soul for this game!’
‘Undertaker?’ said another who drew comparisons with the WWE legend.
Whatever Siakam was up to in the tunnel, it worked for him and his team as he 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.
