Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Delivers nine dimes in loss
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McConnell closed with 10 points (5-9 FG, 0-1 3Pt), three rebounds, nine assists and one steal in 22 minutes during Friday's 125-118 loss to the Pelicans.
McConnell did his thing Friday, providing adequate assist and steal numbers. With Andrew Nembhard sidelined due to a knee injury, McConnell was afforded a slightly longer leash. Should Nembhard continue to miss games, McConnell could be a sneaky fantasy addition, albeit offering value in only a couple of categories.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Plays season-low six minutes
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McConnell closed Monday's 119-115 loss to the Magic with zero points (0-3 FG), one assist and one steal across six minutes.
Coach Rick Carlisle went away from the veteran point guard Monday night, opting instead to give a bit more run to Ben Sheppard. McConnell played an average of 17.7 minutes in his previous three outings, and it will be interesting to see if he reclaims those minutes going forward.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Plays 13 minutes off bench Thursday
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McConnell (rest) notched eight points (3-6 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), two rebounds and four assists across 13 minutes off the bench in Thursday's 121-116 preseason win over the Hornets.
McConnell returned to action after resting in the Pacers' previous preseason contest, and the veteran floor general had a decent showing in limited minutes. He's slated to open the 2024-25 campaign as the primary backup behind Tyrese Haliburton at point guard.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Resting Monday
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McConnell won't play in Monday's preseason game against Memphis for rest purposes.
McConnell, Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam will all get the night off but should return to action for Thursday's preseason finale against the Hornets. Last Thursday, McConnell posted eight points (4-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt), five assists, two rebounds and three steals in 17 minutes off the bench during a win over the Cavaliers.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Extended by Indiana
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The Pacers signed McConnell to a four-year, $45 million extension Friday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
McConnell is coming off a career year in 2023-24, as he averaged 10.2 points, 5.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 18.2 minutes across 71 regular-season appearances, including four starts. The 31-year-old guard was a crucial factor in the Pacers' run to the Eastern Conference Finals and is set to be the long-term backup point guard to Tyrese Haliburton.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Decent output in Game 4 loss
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McConnell provided 15 points (7-16 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, four assists and one steal across 25 minutes during Monday's 105-102 loss to the Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
McConnell was tasked with handling a bigger role throughout the series, and that was even more noticeable with Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) sidelined for the final two contests. The veteran floor general looked good off the bench, but he wasn't able to complete the comeback on his own. McConnell scored in double digits in three of the four games of the series, including reaching the 15-point plateau in the last two.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Shines off bench despite loss
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McConnell notched 23 points (10-17 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds, six assists and one steal in 29 minutes during Saturday's 114-111 loss to Boston in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
McConnell came off the bench Saturday despite the fact Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) was unavailable, and the former made a huge impact on both ends of the court once again. Given that McConnell outplayed Ben Sheppard, who started Game 3 in place of Haliburton, it wouldn't be surprising if McConnell moves to the starting lineup in Game 4 with Indiana facing a 3-0 deficit in the series. McConnell is averaging 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Top distributor off bench in Game 7
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McConnell finished with 12 points (6-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt), seven assists, two rebounds, one block and one steal over 23 minutes in Sunday's 130-109 win over New York in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
McConnell provided a spark off the bench for Indiana in a winner-take-all contest, handing out a team-high assist total while ending as one of six players with a double-digit point total to help the Pacers advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. McConnell stepped up his level of play in the series against New York, recording at least 10 points and seven assists in three outings. The guard has surpassed the double-digit scoring mark in seven postseason contests, doing so in five of the seven games against the Knicks.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Shines off bench in Game 1 loss
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McConnell finished with 18 points (9-16 FG, 0-1 3Pt), three assists, three steals and one rebound over 22 minutes in Monday's 121-117 loss to New York in Game 1 of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
McConnell provided a much-needed spark off the Pacers bench with the below-average offensive showing by Indiana's starting guards, leading all bench players in scoring while adding a trio of steals and assists in a balanced showing on the second unit. McConnell has been playing some of his best basketball of the postseason in his last two outings, posting at least 18 points and three assists in two straight contests.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Stellar off bench in Game 6 win
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McConnell tallied 20 points (7-9 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 4-4 FT), nine assists, four steals and two rebounds over 23 minutes in Thursday's 120-98 win over Milwaukee in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
McConnell was outstanding off the Pacers bench in the series-clinching victory, ending second on the team in scoring and assists while leading all players in steals and coming up one dime shy of a double-double to provide a much-needed spark on the second unit. McConnell put forth his best performance of the postseason thus far, scoring more than 10 points for the first time while handing out his highest assist total of the first round. Indiana will look for McConnell to continue to provide a spark off the bench in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Quiet in Game 5 loss
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McConnell logged six points (3-10 FG, 0-2 3Pt), three rebounds and three assists in 16 minutes during Tuesday's 115-92 loss to the Bucks in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
McConnell failed to have a significant impact in the loss, continuing his underwhelming series. The Pacers were never really in this one, falling behind early and giving the Bucks some much-needed momentum. Game 6 is in Indiana on Thursday, providing the Pacers with another opportunity to advance to the second round.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Continues to lead second unit
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McConnell racked up 17 points (8-13 FG, 1-1 3Pt), two rebounds and seven assists in 21 minutes during Tuesday's 140-123 victory over the Raptors.
McConnell scored in double digits for the third straight game Tuesday and has reached that mark in 13 of his last 14 games. He finished second on the team in assists behind Andrew Nembhard and third in scoring behind Tyrese Haliburton and Obi Toppin. Since March 1, McConnell is averaging 14.0 points on 57.4 percent shooting, 2.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.1 steals over 20.0 minutes per game.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Provides spark off bench in win
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McConnell tallied 22 points (11-14 FG, 0-1 3Pt), five assists and one steal over 27 minutes in Sunday's 117-115 win over Miami.
McConnell provided a much-needed lift off the Pacers bench in Sunday's victory, posting a team-high-tying point total while connecting on a team-best mark from the field and adding a handful of assists. McConnell has surpassed the 20-point mark in four games this year, and Sunday was his first such performance since scoring a season-high 26 points March 3. He has now connected on 10 or more field goals in three contests this year.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Double-double off bench Friday
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McConnell totaled 16 points (7-12 FG, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, 10 assists and one block across 21 minutes during Friday's 126-112 win over the Thunder.
McConnell recorded his fourth double-double of the season Friday, and he was second on the team in assists behind Tyrese Haliburton. McConnell has provided a steady presence for the Pacers' second unit this season. Since March 1, he is averaging 13.3 points on 55.6 percent shooting (including 56.3 percent from three), 2.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.1 steals over 19.7 minutes per game.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Gets green light
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McConnell (ankle) is good to go for Wednesday's game versus the Bulls.
McConnell was in danger of missing his first game since Feb. 1, but he will ultimately play through his ankle pain. Thus, look for him to take on his usual workload.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Iffy for Wednesday
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McConnell is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game versus the Bulls due to left ankle soreness.
McConnell is in danger of missing his first contest since Feb. 1 due to a sore left ankle. If the veteran guard is ruled out, Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard and Kendall Brown are candidates to receive increased playing time.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Posts 17 points from bench
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McConnell finished with 17 points (8-15 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 0-1 FT), three rebounds, seven assists and one steal across 18 minutes during Sunday's 150-145 loss to the Lakers.
McConnell woke up with a nice total in only 18 minutes of play. Sunday marked McConnell's sixth consecutive double-digit total, and he's also averaged 4.7 assists over the five-game run. McConnell gives the second unit a solid veteran presence, and his participation this year has him on pace for career-high averages in points (9.5) and assists (5.4).
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Leads bench with 16 points
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McConnell notched 16 points (5-11 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 5-5 FT), four rebounds, four assists and two steals in 20 minutes during Wednesday's 132-129 overtime loss to Chicago.
McConnell continues to provide a steady presence off the bench as he supplied four-plus assists for the fifth time in his last six games. McConnell is averaging 9.1 points per game on the campaign but has upped that to 13.6 points per game in March.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Provides lift after cold start
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McConnell closed Sunday's 111-97 win over the Magic with 17 points (8-12 FG, 1-2 FT), six rebounds, six assists, one block and two steals across 27 minutes.
The Pacers were down by double digits early, but McConnell and Obi Toppin flipped the script when they joined the action. McConnell, an eight-year veteran, has an unpredictable floor and is averaging a career low in minutes, but he can occasionally provide a spark with the second unit, as he did in Sunday's contest.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Impresses off bench despite loss
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McConnell chipped in 26 points (13-15 FG), two rebounds, five assists and three steals over 27 minutes during Sunday's 117-105 loss to the Spurs.
Tyrese Haliburton had a rough outing for the second game in a row, and T.J. McConnell stepped up from the bench to lead the Pacers with a 26-point outing despite logging just 27 minutes. McConnell will not start over Haliburton any time soon, but he could be worth a flier in some fantasy formats if he continues to play like he's done of late. For what is worth, he's scored in double digits in four of his last six outings while shooting 65 percent from the field in that span.
