The Indiana Pacers won a must-win game against the Heat on Sunday 117-115. While it got closer at the end than it probably should have, they finally were able to win a clutch game. They had seven different players score in double figures in what was a total team win.
One of those players was T.J. McConnell. He was the best player on the floor and played 27 minutes. He was a team-high +7 and really diced up Miami's zone. Once he got the ball, he would penetrate into the paint and either take a jumper, floater, or dish it to an open shooter.
McConnell finished the game with 22 points and 5 assists on 11-14 shooting. He showed his value to the Pacers and has proven they can't let him go. When things break down on offense, Rick Carlisle brings him in to insert energy into the lineup. Myles Turner loved it and had a great quote praising McConnell.
Myles Turner praises T.J. McConnell following Pacers win
Turner, who had 22 points and 13 rebounds in the win and shot 8-8 from the free-throw line, praised McConnell in the best way possible. This is what he had to say about his teammate:
""I think he takes it personal when he sees white boys guarding him. That's just another thing I see from him too. He wants to be THE white boy.""Myles Turner
McConnell is one of the fiercest competitors in the entire NBA. He not only is intense on offense and pushing the pace, but he gets sneaky steals in the backcourt all of the time. It's clear his teammates enjoy his hustly and his hard play and they recognize the value that it brings.
The Pacers getting that win against the Heat gives them a one-game cushion for the 6th seed. They now are also just one game behind the Cavs for the 5th seed and they hold the tiebreaker over them. So if Indiana wins on Friday over them, they might be in the 4/5 matchup.
McConnell just needs to keep on doing what he does. The Pacers don't need anything more or anything less.