“He’s the great white hope”: Tyrese Haliburton hilariously reveals Pacers’ label for game-changer T.J. McConnell

Tyrese Haliburton had high praise for X-Factor T.J. McConnell after the Indiana Pacers forced a do-or-die Game 7, dominating the OKC Thunder 108-91, in Game 6. The Pacers leaned on a balanced outing from their core players, including McConnell, who had 12 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals in the game.

When asked about the six-foot-one guard’s contributions to the team, Haliburton lauded McConnell, revealing the Pacers’ label for him in their post-game interview.

“He’s unbelievable. I don’t even have the words. He’s the great white hope, that’s what we call him,” Haliburton said, describing McConnell’s impact on the team.

“He’s just amazing. (He) just continues to go downhill to put on pressure on the defense,” he added.

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Playing off the bench, McConnell has been a sparkplug for the Pacers off the bench throughout the series. In Game 6, he led the Pacers to a 36-17 second-quarter run that broke the game open en route to Indiana’s win.

Game 6 was McConnell’s fourth double-digit performance in the Finals, after averaging just 9.0 points per game throughout the playoffs. Game 5 was his best performance in the series, scoring 18 points, on top of four rebounds, four assists, and two steals, albeit in a loss.

McConnell has also been a valuable reliever for Haliburton, as he still nurses a calf strain. Haliburton had 14 points and five assists in Game 6.

He was also one of the key defenders for the Thunder’s guards, led by regular-season MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who tallied a career-high eight turnovers in the game.

With the win, the Pacers forced a Game 7 at OKC, which is the NBA’s first since 2016.

T.J. McConnell downplays impressive performance

Despite the magnitude of his impact on the Indiana Pacers throughout the playoffs, T.J. McConnell remained humble in his performance.

Responding to Haliburton’s remarks after Game 6, McConnell downplayed his showing, acknowledging that it was his role as a bench player to provide a spark whenever necessary.

“I’m just trying to do my job: come in and inject energy and get our team moving offensively and defensively,” he said during the post-game broadcast.

T.J. McConnell hopes to continue his impactful performance against the Thunder as he looks to bring the Pacers their first-ever NBA championship on Monday.

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About the author

Rob Andrew Lo

Rob Andrew Lo is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over three years of experience in the field. Rob studied journalism at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines and his love for sports made this an obvious career to pursue.

Rob's favorite team is the Oklahoma City Thunder. He grew up watching Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant and his admiration for them left not only a lasting impression but solidified his fandom.

When not working, Rob loves to play basketball. If he isn't watching or writing about basketball, he can probably be found watching pro wrestling.

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