T.J. McConnell chips in with 18 off the bench
T.J. McConnell shot 9-of-16 from the field in Monday’s 121-117 loss to the Knicks, scoring 18 points with one rebound, three assists, and three steals in 22 minutes.
Advice: With Tyrese Haliburton struggling in Monday’s series opener, McConnell stepped up to lead a bench unit that combined to score 46 points. The veteran point guard scored 20 points in Indiana’s Game 6 win over Milwaukee, so his ability to punish the Knicks is unsurprising. Also reaching double figures off the bench was former Knick Obi Toppin, who tallied 12 points, six rebounds, three assists, one block, and two 3-pointers in 19 minutes. Add Isaiah Jackson (8/5/1/0/3) and Ben Sheppard (8/2/2 with two 3-pointers), and the Pacers’ reserves played well enough to win Game 1. Unfortunately for them, the combination of New York’s Villanova trio and a few controversial calls was too much to overcome.
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