The Indiana Pacers are moving on to the second round. They took down the Bucks 120-98 in Game 6 in Indy to move on. It was a game that showed just how valuable two specific members of the bench are. Both T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin are invaluable to this squad.
McConnell had been having a rough series prior to this game. In four out of the five previous games in the series, he had a negative plus/minus. He had only scored in double-digits once as well. Both things changed in Game 6. McConnell was a game-high +22 and he scored 20 points off the bench.
McConnell clearly needs to be back next season. Toppin is someone who is actually a free agent while McConnell's contract is just not fully guaranteed. Toppin had his best game of the series, scoring 21 points off the bench and grabbing 8 rebounds. He was special too.
Both T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin make the Pacers dangerous deeper into the playoffs
These two guys are the main members of the bench who the Pacers can count on. Ben Sheppard can come out and play solid defense and make some threes too, but McConnell and Toppin are the drivers of the bench unit. They make this Indiana team dangerous.
Now that they have advanced to round two, the level of difficulty goes up for the Pacers. They are going to take on a Knicks team that has a lot of momentum right now. They are a very tough team that loves to grind out wins. The Pacers don't play that way. They like to run as much as possible.
The Knicks don't go deep into their bench. They pretty much ride their starters until they pass out. Having some guys contribute off the bench is going to be critical for the Pacers. Toppin and McConnell are the two guys who they can count on to score some points.
This is going to be a throwback series. It's not quite the same vibe as it was back in the 90s, but it's going to be an electric series between two charged-up fanbases.