McConnell makes Finals history off bench
13 Jun 2025 - The Indianapolis Star Kyle Neddenriep Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s Pacers coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Pacers Update newsletter. Indianapolis Star USA TODAY NETWORK INDIANAPOLIS – T.J. McConnell’s night started inauspiciously enough. A turnover, barely a minute after he entered Game 3 of the NBA Finals, ended the first quarter with a whimper for the Pacers. An eight-point deficit looked like a mountain against an Oklahoma City Thunder team that quieted — or at least subdued — the raucous Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd anxious to celebrate the Pacers’ first NBA Finals home game in 25 years. But the second quarter was a different T.J. McConnell. A Clark Kent-to-Superman turn, perhaps. Teammate Tyrese Haliburton had a different superhero name in mind after McConnell’s brilliant second quarter helped key the Pacers’ comeback in an eventual 116-107 win and a 2-1 series lead. “I jokingly call him the ‘Great White ...