McConnell amassed 14 points (5-12 FG, 4-4 FT), one rebound, seven assists, one block and two steals across 22 minutes off the bench during Wednesday's 118-114 victory over the Raptors.
The Pacers relied on a balanced offense as six different players scored in double digits, but McConnell led the second unit. The veteran guard has scored 10 or more points in five of his last eight games, chipping in a double-double along the way, and he's supplying consistent fantasy value by averaging 11.4 points, 7.1 assists, 3.8 boards and 2.0 steals over that stretch in 24. minutes a night.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Posts double-double off bench
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McConnell (back) amassed 19 points (9-12 FG, 1-2 3Pt), three rebounds, 12 assists and one steal in 30 minutes during Thursday's 139-123 victory over Milwaukee.
McConnell was excellent in his return from a two-game absence due to a back issue and took advantage of expanded offensive usage with Tyrese Haliburton (knee) sidelined. The veteran point guard's 12 assists tied his season high and his 19 points tied his third-highest scoring outing of the campaign. Over his past five appearances, McConnell is averaging 12.6 points, 6.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 25.0 minutes. He should continue to see a sizable role with Haliburton expected to miss at least two more contests.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Available Thursday
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McConnell (back) is good to go for Thursday's game against the Bucks, Jeremiah Johnson of Bally Sports Indiana reports.
McConnell is back following a two-game absence. With Tyrese Haliburton (knee) out at least three games, the veteran should see an expanded role. In his six starts this season, McConnell has averaged 12.7 points, 8.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 31.3 minutes.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Iffy for Thursday's contest
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McConnell (back) is questionable for Thursday's matchup against the Bucks.
McConnell has missed back-to-back games due to back soreness, but he returned to practice Wednesday and appears to be trending in the right direction ahead of Thursday's matchup. Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) is in the same boat as McConnell, but if both point guards are downgraded to out and join Bennedict Mathurin (ankle) and Chris Duarte (ankle) on the sidelines, Andrew Nembhard, Jordan Nwora and George Hill would all be candidates for significant roles in the Pacers' backcourt.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Practices Wednesday
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Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said McConnell (back) practiced Wednesday, but the backup point guard's status for Thursday's matchup in Milwaukee remains to be determined, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports.
McConnell has missed back-to-back games due to back soreness, but he's getting closer to returning to game action. However, his official status for Thursday's matchup likely won't be known until the Pacers release their next injury report, which should drop sometime Wednesday afternoon.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Not playing Monday
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McConnell (back) has been ruled out of Monday's game against the Pistons, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports.
McConnell, Tyrese Haliburton (knee) and Myles Turner (back) will all be sidelined for the second game in a row after the trio sat out Saturday's 121-115 win over Detroit. In the absence of Haliburton and McConnell, expect Andrew Nembhard -- who posted 19 points and eight assists in 33 minutes Saturday -- to serve as Indiana's primary facilitator out of the backcourt in the rematch with the Pistons.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Ruled out Saturday
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McConnell will miss Saturday's contest against Detroit with a sore back, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Indiana will also be without Tyrese Haliburton (knee), leaving the Pacers very thin in the backcourt. The absence of Indiana's top two point guards will pave the way for Andrew Nembhard and Chris Duarte to play extended minutes in what projects to be a great matchup for fantasy purposes.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Questionable Saturday
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McConnell is questionable for Saturday's tilt against the Pistons due to a sore back.
Indiana may be especially shorthanded in the backcourt Saturday. In addition to McConnell being iffy, Tyrese Haliburton (knee) is questionable, and Bennedict Mathurin (ankle) has already been ruled out. Coach Rick Carlisle may have to give more prominent roles to Andrew Nembhard, George Hill and Chris Duarte.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Makes impact in steals category
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McConnell tallied 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, four assists and three steals across 22 minutes in Monday's 147-143 loss to the 76ers.
Even with starting point guard Tyrese Haliburton logging 37 minutes, head coach Rick Carlisle was still able to carve out a 20-plus-minute role for McConnell, whose lack of a perimeter game typically makes him a poor fit as an off-ball player. McConnell managed to produce well during his time on the floor, but considering he played fewer than 20 minutes in four of the past five games, fantasy players can't yet count on him seeing enough playing time alongside Haliburton to replicate Monday's stat line regularly.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Finishes in double digits
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McConnell finished with 10 points (5-9 FG, 0-1 FT), six rebounds, five assists and four steals across 31 minutes during Thursday's 110-99 loss to San Antonio.
McConnell failed to reach double-digit attempts from the field for an eighth consecutive matchup, but he set his best scoring mark since Feb. 8 with the help of an efficient night. He also shouldered a heavier workload than usual, though this was likely due to the absence of Tyrese Haliburton (calf). McConnell will presumably see his minutes drop down to the 15-to-20-minute range once Haliburton is cleared for action.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Coming off bench Thursday
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McConnell isn't starting Thursday against Boston, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports.
McConnell started the Pacers' final game before the All-Star break but will cede his spot in the starting lineup to Andrew Nembhard on Thursday. McConnell has come off the bench in seven of his last eight appearances and has averaged 8.9 points, 4.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game over that stretch.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Dishes out seven dimes in start
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McConnell closed Wednesday's 117-113 win over the Bulls with two points (0-3 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds and seven assists in 21 minutes.
After coming off the bench in his last seven appearances, McConnell failed to convert any field-goal attempts during Wednesday's start, but he finished with the second-highest assist total on the team. It's unclear whether the 30-year-old will draw more starts alongside Tyrese Haliburton following the All-Star break, but as long as Haliburton remains healthy, McConnell doesn't have as much upside as he did during his five-game run as a starter in late January.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Will start Wednesday
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McConnell will start Wednesday's game against the Bulls, Scott Agness of FieldhouseFiles.com reports.
McConnell will draw his sixth start of the season, sending Andrew Nembhard to a bench role. In his previous five starts, the defensive-minded point guard averaged 14.8 points, 9.2 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals, but that was with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined. Given Haliburton is available and will run most of the offense, it's safe to presume McConnell's usage won't be the same as his previous starts.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Big night off bench
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McConnell finished with 18 points (8-12 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 0-1 FT), three rebounds and six assists in 27 minutes off the bench during Wednesday's 116-111 loss to the Heat.
He actually out-scored starting point guard Tyrese Haliburton, the first time that's happened in four games since Haliburton returned from a knee injury. McConnell has been surprisingly productive over the last month, averaging 13.6 points, 7.3 assists, 4.6 boards and 1.2 steals in the last 15 games -- five of them in the starting lineup -- and if Haliburton winds up needing additional rest, his 30-year-old backup figures to be a must-add in DFS.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Plays reduced role, as projected
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McConnell notched eight points (4-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt), three rebounds and three assists in 14 minutes during Friday's 107-104 victory over Sacramento.
McConnell's time as a 12-team asset appears to be over based on his past two games. With Tyrese Haliburton back in the lineup, McConnell has moved back to the bench, and his minutes have fallen to just 14 and 17, respectively. There had been an inkling of hope that he would be able to maintain a 20-plus minute role, but those hopes can now be put to bed.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Back to bench with Haliburton in
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McConnell will come off the bench Thursday against the Lakers, Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register reports.
With Tyrese Haliburton (knee) returning Thursday, McConnell will head back to his usual bench role. Fantasy managers that have relied on McConnell during this stretch should likely explore dropping him during the upcoming waiver period unless you're desperate for assists. When coming off the bench this season, the veteran has averaged 6.7 points, 4.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 18.1 minutes.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Flirts with double-double
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McConnell had 19 points (8-11 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds, nine assists and three steals across 32 minutes during Friday's 141-131 loss to Milwaukee.
McConnell continues to make the most of his opportunities with Tyrese Haliburton (knee) on the mend. The Arizona product fell just one assist shy of a double-double and recorded three steals for the second time in three games. McConnell is averaging 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 2.0 steals in four games since entering the starting lineup.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Posts double-double in victory
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McConnell amassed 20 points (9-14 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 10 assists, three rebounds and three steals over 41 minutes during Tuesday's 116-110 win over the Bulls.
McConnell was one of four Pacers players to score 20 or more points, and he led the team in assists en route to finishing with his second straight double-double performance. The point guard rounded out the solid showing on the offensive end with three steals, one short of a season high. With averages of 15.6 points, 8.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 0.9 three-pointers in 28.8 minutes per game while shooting 62.8 percent from the floor and going 12-for-12 from the free-throw line over his last eight outings, McConnell has established himself as a must-roster player in every format for as long as Tyrese Haliburton (knee) is sidelined.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Delivers triple-double
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McConnell racked up 18 points (8-15 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 12 assists, 10 rebounds and two steals over 39 minutes during Saturday's 112-107 loss to the Suns.
McConnell had retained a bench role in the first five games of Tyrese Haliburton's absence due to a left knee bruise and left elbow sprain, but head coach Rick Carlisle opted to give McConnell a look in the starting unit for the first time Saturday. The 30-year-old made the most of the opportunity, claiming his third career triple-double along the way while chipping in what's become standard production in the steals category. While his minutes remain on the upswing, McConnell needs to be rostered in just about every fantasy format for as long as Haliburton is sidelined.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Starting next to Nembhard
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McConnell will start Saturday's game against the Suns.
Coach Rick Carlisle will experiment with starting McConnell alongside Nembhard. The nod will be McConnell's first start of the year, though he's been seeing increased minutes in Tyrese Haliburton's (knee, elbow) absence. Over the past six games, McConnell is averaging 14.5 points, 7.7 assists, 5.2 boards and 1.8 steals in 25.0 minutes.
