TJ McConnell hit a special milestone in the Indiana Pacers’ 127-119 home win against the New Orleans Pelicans. The 33-year-old floor general was a spark off the bench, notching eight points, two rebounds, and nine assists on 4-for-8 shooting in 16 minutes.
By doing so, McConnell became only the second player in NBA history to register 3,000 career assists off the bench, with Lou Williams having more (3,262). The Indiana Pacers guard hit the milestone early in the first quarter.
“Please don’t let us act like this ain’t crazy! Undrafted, 11 years in, this is special🙏🏽,” Tyrese Haliburton said of McConnell on his X (formerly known as Twitter).
With the help of McConnell’s playmaking, the Indiana Pacers recorded their highest scoring half of the season, tallying 31 points in the first and 42 points in the second, which was enough to fend off the New Orleans Pelicans.
Indiana Pacers News: Jay Huff scores career-high in win vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Jay Huff was virtually unstoppable in the Indiana Pacers’ victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night, as the 28-year-old center had 29 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and two blocks while missing only four shots (13-for-17).
With the attention mostly on Pascal Siakam, Huff took advantage by converting dunks and layups, with nine of his field goals within five feet of the basket. During his postgame interview, Huff, known for his reverse dunks, said he is willing to compete in the upcoming NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
“If somebody asked me, I would definitely do it. If somebody told me that I need to do all reverse dunks, I’d have to come up with a little bit of new material, but I think I would do it,” he said.
