As has been the case all season long, the Indiana Pacers never gave up or withered under pressure in a crucial Game 6 in the NBA Finals, and this allowed them to force a win-or-go-home Game 7 for the NBA Championship. The Pacers got a big boost from numerous players on the team, but perhaps none of those performances was as notable as T.J. McConnell's.
McConnell was everywhere in Game 6 and provided great energy off the bench. In the win, he recorded 12 points on 6-for-12 shooting, nine rebounds, six assists, and four steals. The Pittsburgh native was huge in the Pacers' win, and his hustle plays were just one example of how the team made it this far in the first place.
As the Pacers look to pull off the series comeback and win their first-ever NBA title, they must ride the momentum of their fantastic Game 6 and continue playing their brand of basketball, which McConnell showcased perfectly.
The Pacers are a win away from an NBA Championship
To the shock of most in the basketball world, the Pacers are now just one win away from being able to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy, which is a statement not many would have expected to be true back in December. Even so, the Pacers got to this point by becoming the team that never gives up or backs down in the face of adversity. They are relentless in every phase of the game, and they constantly fight.
On paper, the Pacers objectively do not have a more talented roster than the Oklahoma City Thunder do. The Thunder are a 68-win team and finished with the best record in the Western Conference by a mile. Additionally, they have arguably the best defense the league has seen in recent history, and they are led by the MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, the Pacers have made things difficult for them in the series and are a legitimate threat to steal a championship away from them on Sunday. They got to this point because of their mentality and play style, and it is only fitting that they are about to be tested when the lights could not be brighter.
This is the closest the Pacers have ever been to winning an NBA Championship, and there are real reasons to believe they can pull it off this year. Anything can happen in a Game 7, and the Pacers have proven they have what it takes to take down the mighty Thunder. Whether they do so or not remains to be seen, but if McConnell proved anything in Indiana's Game 6 victory, it is that they will not go down without a fight.