A special Indiana fan seemed to inspire Pacers guard TJ McConnell on Thursday as the Pacers closed out their first-round playoff series against the Bucks with a 120-96 victory in Indianapolis.
When McConnell spoke to the media after Game 6, in which he had 20 points, 2 rebounds, and 9 assists, teammate Tyrese Haliburton credited his teammate’s wife, Val, for his dominant performance. Admitted.
“I knew he would respond because my wife Val is here. I always say he plays better when Val is in the game,” Haliburton said.
Haliburton, who added 17 points with six rebounds and 10 assists on Thursday, is “a little down” after his performance in Tuesday’s Game 5 loss, where McConnell only had six points, three rebounds and three assists. He explained that he felt that way.
“After the game, I said, ‘Hey, go home and Val is going to the game, and you’re going to get better.’ And it just happened. Val, I yelled,” Halliburton said. said.
McConnell, 32, dated Val for years before the couple married in 2017.
“I felt like tonight was one of my better games where I just let the game go to me,” McConnell said after the game. According to The Athletic.
“I feel like we tried to force this problem a few games ago, but it just didn’t go the way we wanted.”
McConnell, an undrafted player out of Arizona State, began his NBA career with the 76ers in 2015 and joined the Pacers in 2019.
This year, he averaged 10.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.
The Pacers, the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, will face the No. 2 seed Knicks in the semifinal round starting Monday at Madison Square Garden.
On Thursday, the Knicks defeated the Sixers with a thrilling 118-115 victory in Game 6 in Philadelphia.
