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Siakam celebrates his birthday with a monster performance to help Toronto Raptors to victory against Charlotte Hornets.
The Toronto Raptors recorded a 128-108 victory away against the Charlotte Hornets in an NBA fixture played on Sunday, April 2, 2023.
Starting out hot, the Raptors put out 35 points in the first quarter to establish a 10-point lead/
The Raptors had veteran point guard Frederick VanVleet pulling the strings and in the second quarter were able to put up 32 points and led by 20 going to the halftime break.
The Hornets responded to start the third quarter, led by Ukrainian Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk put up 37 points but were unable to reduce a wide margin as the Raptors also put up 34 points.
The Raptors outscored the Hornets by seven in the fourth quarter to hold on for a 28-point blowout victory.
Pascal Siakam shows off soccer skills
Ahead of the game against the Hornets, Cameroonian professional basketball player Pascal Siakam celebrated his birthday.
Born on April 2 1994 the NBA sent out a message to celebrate the special occasion that said, "Join us in wishing @pskills43 of the @Raptors a HAPPY 29th BIRTHDAY! #NBABDAY."
Siakam took to the court in style for his warmup and went viral on his birthday showing off his soccer skills.
He juggled the ball with his feet and tried some tricks to make difficult shots on several attempts.
Pascal Siakam helps Raptors destroy Hornets
On his birthday, Siakam was by far the best player on the court as the Raptors defeated the Hornets.
He scored 36 points, grabbed seven rebounds, had two steals, and contributed seven assists to the Raptors' victory.
In 39 minutes of action, Siakam an all-star replacement made 16 of his 24 shots, was two of seven from three-point range, and a perfect two from the free throw line.
Precious Achiuwa shines as Raptors defeat Hornets
Nigerian professional basketball player Precious Achiuwa played an integral role for the Raptors in the victory against the Hornets.
The 23-year-old was part of the second unit named by Raptors Head Coach Nick Nurse.
Coming off the bench, Achiuwa contributed eight points and three rebounds in 13 minutes of action.
He made four of his seven shots in the restricted area and was unable to knock down his only three-point attempt.
Siakam and AChiuwa continue to help the Raptors in the push to make the playoffs in the NBA Eastern Conference.
The African duo return to action when the Raptors take on the Hornets again in their next fixture scheduled for Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
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