Pascal Siakam had social media in stitches before Game 6 of the NBA Finals—but not for anything he did on the court. A video of the Indiana Pacers forward in the pregame huddle, eyes rolled back and seemingly “possessed,” went viral almost instantly, with fans dubbing it the “demon face” moment of the playoffs.
After the Pacers’ stunning 108–91 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder to force a Game 7, Siakam finally addressed the clip—and his reaction was as hilarious as the video itself.
“Myles [Turner] showed me that,” Siakam said postgame. “They said I was a demon? I mean, I wish I had a 30-point game or something—like, ‘Yeah, spirit took over’”.
Siakam explained that the intense expression wasn’t intentional. In fact, it’s something he’s dealt with before.
“When I try to close my eyes, I’m thinking that I’m closing them, but I’m not,” he said. “Sometimes I have to remind myself, like, ‘Okay, close your eyes.’ It used to happen a lot more”.
Despite not dropping 30, Siakam still delivered a strong performance: 16 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block, helping Indiana dominate from the second quarter onward. His energy and leadership were crucial in keeping the Pacers’ title hopes alive.
The clip sparked a wave of memes and reactions online, with fans comparing Siakam to everything from a WWE wrestler to a horror movie villain. But the 31-year-old took it all in stride.
“At least they’re talking about me a little bit,” he joked. “It’s all good. We’ll take it”.
“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.”
— Pascal Siakam
(h/t @NoContext_NBA_)pic.twitter.com/AFufQh6g3l
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 20, 2025
With Game 7 looming, Siakam and the Pacers are hoping to channel that same fire—demon eyes or not—as they chase the franchise’s first NBA championship.
