Everyone from the Knicks to his own coach has called TJ McConnell a nuisance.
But the Pacers’ guard went from being annoying to being game-changing.
He will try to change Tuesday’s Game 5 against the Knicks at the Garden to give his team a chance to shut out Friday’s Eastern Conference semifinals at home.
McConnell bounced back from a rare below-average performance to record 15 points, 10 assists and two steals off the bench in Game 4, posting a stellar +27 mark in the Pacers rout.
He brought energy in the first quarter, making steals, and-ones and yelling, “I’m back!”
“I don’t think I said that,” McConnell later laughed.
But he’s definitely back for Game 4, and the Pacers will need him back again to win at the Garden on Tuesday.
“We’re heading to MSG. We know what kind of environment it’s going to be. They have a great fan base and obviously they’re playing very well. [at the Garden]. So we need to be prepared,” McConnell said.
“What we’re walking into at MSG is going to be a hell of a crowd with them playing great in front of us because they have a great fan base. So we’re going to be well prepared. We need to be prepared and prepared.”
McConnell, one of the Pacers’ veteran leaders, ensured the Pacers would survive Sunday.
He had 10 points and four assists, and was plus-20 by halftime, blowing a 28-point lead over Indiana that grew to 43 points before the rout ended.
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“TJ, he’s one of our leaders,” Myles Turner said. “He’s really committed to leading that second unit. And as you said, he took full responsibility for what happened in the last game. And when it actually happens… That’s very rare I think. But I think he came out with great spirit (Sunday) and really led them.”
Opponents probably wouldn’t describe it in such flattering terms what the Pacers call Spirit.
McConnell is a professional stimulator who picks up opponents from 94 feet, presses, and comes up with key 3s at the most important times.
Josh Hart called McConnell an “annoying midget.”
And even Rick Carlisle recalled coaching against McConnell when Gard was in Philadelphia, admitting, “He was just very annoying.”
Now, he’s the de facto leader of the second unit, and more and more are taking advantage of the Knicks’ declining bench.
McConnell’s energy could shine even brighter in Game 5 against a tired and tattered unit.
“Yes, when [McConnell] When he comes in, the energy goes up, the pace goes up, our pace goes up even more,” Pascal Siakam said. “I think our pace is pretty fast…so that’s really important.
“He’s everywhere. And when he’s knocking down 3s, it’s crazy. He’s such a good guy and plays the game the right way. Just knowing that he’s going to give it his all when he comes in, we need his pace and the disruptive presence he’s had.”
