Pascal Siakam is beginning to shake off the rust.
In the Raptors' 108-89 win over the Kings on Friday, Siakam delivered his best performance of the young season, finishing with 32 points, eight rebounds and two blocks while shooting 10 of 12 from the field, a perfect 3 of 3 from beyond the arc and 9 of 10 from the charity stripe.
TAKEAWAYS: Siakam, Raptors blow out Kings
Siakam's performance was a statistical anomaly in itself, as he joined unique company thanks to his efficiency.
On Friday night, Siakam became just the fourth player since the start of the 2019-20 season to score 32 or more points on 12 or fewer shot attempts. The others? A pair of All-Stars in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Trae Young and, most recently, Wizards sharpshooter Davis Bertans.
| Player | Date | PTS | FG | FGA | 3P | 3PA | FT | FTA |
| Pascal Siakam | Nov. 19, 2021 | 32 | 10 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 10 |
| Davis Bertans | Feb. 17, 2021 | 35 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 8 |
| Trae Young | Dec. 23, 2020 | 37 | 10 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 14 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Jan. 4, 2020 | 32 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 15 | 18 |
Siakam's performance couldn't have come at a better time for him or the Raptors.
Toronto snapped a three-game skid with the win despite being without OG Anunoby. It was a big bounce-back performance for Siakam, who finished with just four points (on 2-for-14 shooting) in Thursday night's loss to the Jazz. It was also just Siakam's sixth game of the season and the first time in which he played on both ends of a back-to-back.
MORE: Five-game check-in with Siakam
After missing the first 10 games of the season, performances like Friday's are important for Siakam to get back to his All-Star form.
"Last game I felt like I was running in mud the whole game," Siakam said. "It's just waking up every day continuing to push forward knowing it's going to be tough, but once I get that rhythm and my legs under me I know what I can do, and I have to focus on that."
Raptors coach Nick Nurse was extremely complimentary of Siakam's performance, crediting him for having a short memory after an off night in Utah and adding that it was "as good as [Siakam's] looked offensively in a long time."
As Siakam continues to get his legs under him, the highs should become more of the norm, while the lows will be more seldom.
With the Raptors looking to compete for a spot in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Siakam getting back to his old ways can bring them closer to their goals.
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