How to replace Tyrese Haliburton? This is the question that arose for the Pacers because their playmaker and best player (27 points and 11.8 assists on average) was ill and absent for the trip to Miami.
At the start of the game, the absence of the All-Star was obvious, with an Indiana team in difficulty. Then TJ McConnell came into play.
The replacement brought a spark to save the starters in tough times. He scored 10 points and delivered 4 assists with a basket at the buzzer to conclude the first half.
TJ McConnell, the ideal understudy
In the last quarter, TJ McConnell accelerates with a perfect performance: 8 points at 4/4 shooting, 6 assists and no lost balls. He is the symbol of this Indiana team which was incredibly skillful after the first act (78% success in the last three quarters!) and which overthrew the Heat.
“When you play Miami, you have to have your best competitors on the field and TJ is one of them, that’s clear”book Rick Carlisle for theIndy Star. “He was thrust into the heart of the game with the absence of Tyrese Haliburton and from the start of the game he had a huge impact. In defense, to score and to create for others. »
TJ McConnell, removed from the rotation for a while and whose role for the Pacers is always fluctuating, thus made his best copy of the season, by far, since with 20 units at 10/11 on the shoot and 11 offerings (one only lost ball) in 25 minutes, he was almost perfect and broke his records for points and assists.
| TJ McConnell | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2015-16 | PHL | 81 | 20 | 47.0 | 34.8 | 63.4 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 4.5 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.1 | 6.1 |
| 2016-17 | PHL | 81 | 26 | 46.1 | 20.0 | 81.1 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 6.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 6.9 |
| 2017-18 | PHL | 76 | 22 | 49.9 | 43.5 | 79.5 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 6.3 |
| 2018-19 | PHL | 76 | 19 | 52.5 | 33.3 | 78.4 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 6.4 |
| 2019-20 | IND | 71 | 19 | 51.6 | 29.4 | 83.3 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 2.7 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 6.5 |
| 2020-21 | IND | 69 | 26 | 55.9 | 31.3 | 68.8 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 8.6 |
| 2021-22 | IND | 27 | 24 | 48.1 | 30.3 | 82.6 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 4.9 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 8.5 |
| 2022-23 | IND | 75 | 20 | 54.3 | 44.1 | 85.3 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 5.3 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 8.7 |
| 2023-24 | IND | 11 | 14 | 52.5 | 16.7 | 71.4 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 6.6 |
| Total | 567 | 22 | 50.9 | 34.1 | 78.1 | 0.6 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 7.1 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
