Raptors' Siakam returns from discipline to start vs. Pelicans

January 02, 2021 - 6:19pm

Toronto Raptors' Pascal Siakam, left, tries to get past Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, in Philadelphia. (Matt Slocum/AP)

Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam will start on Saturday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, head coach Nick Nurse announced before the game.

Nurse confirms that Pascal is back in the starting lineup tonight.

— Steven Loung (@loung_s) January 2, 2021

Siakam did not play on Thursday against the New York Knicks as a disciplinary measure and was understanding of the decision made prior to that game, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange. The forward had walked off the floor after he fouled out of the Raptors’ loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.

"There are certain standards we want to set. He just needs to get on board with those." – Nick Nurse spoke with Pascal Siakam, but wouldn't get into much more details about the discussion.

— Steven Loung (@loung_s) January 2, 2021

“It was a discipline thing, for an internal matter,” Nurse said Thursday after the Raptors’ win over the Knicks. “That’s the decision we went with tonight … Just a certain way we want to do things and everybody’s got to be a part of that, it’s as simple as that.”

This season, Siakam is averaging 18.7 points per game, 9.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists.

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