The NY Knicks showed their quality to the Sixers and moved to the next round of the playoff series. Before entering the semis against the Indiana Pacers, Knicks’ Josh Hart made some statements about Pacers’ T.J. McConnell that made some heads turn.
The Knicks forward started off by saying, “T.J. McConnell is an annoying little sh*t that just runs around, causes chaos, picks up 94 feet, someone that plays the game of basketball extremely at a high level, competitive as hell.” Hart further added, “So we know once Tyrese [Haliburton] goes [to the bench], it’s not like we can sit there and relax. You’ve got someone in T.J. who could be a starting point guard for any other team in this league.”
The 29-year-old continued to claim McConnell as one of his favorite people and “not a lot of teams have a guy like him.” McConnell displayed a remarkable performance in the deciding game of the playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks which solidified his stake as a problem to the Knicks in the upcoming series.
TJ McConnell’s Playoffs in Numbers
T.J. McConnell opened the series by contributing 10 points via 5 shots from the floor. Although he tried attempting 13 shots from the floor and three from the deep, he couldn’t hit them on target and ended up with a 94-109 loss. His numbers dropped in the following game, making his stat line look like 6-2-4 in 17 minutes. As the Pacers won the game, his performance was overlooked.
In Game 3, the 32-year-old’s shooting skills looked better, but still, he could manage only 3-of-6 shots from the floor and one from behind the arc and secured a 121-118 victory.
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McConnell struggled to chip in the 8-4-8 and 6-3-3 stat line in the following games, respectively. However, he entertained the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd by putting up 20 points, 2 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals on the Pacers’ scoreboard in 23 minutes, which made him earn them the spot in the next playoff round after a dominant 120-98 win.
The Pacers and Knicks will face off on Monday for another series of battles, and Josh Hart’s words prove how they’re scouting each of their threats individually.
Also Read: “Belt to A*s”: Tyrese Haliburton Reveals Patrick Beverley Acknowledged Bucks’ Spanking by Pacers
