T.J. McConnell batted a Darius Garland pass. McConnell stripped the ball from Jarrett Allen. McConnell scooped up a loose ball when Garland couldn’t get his pass to Allen. After the Cavaliers called timeout, McConnell poked the ball from Isaac Okoro.
McConnell got steals on four straight Cleveland first-quarter possessions.
And he didn’t stop there.
In the Pacers’ 114-111 win over the Cavs on Wednesday, McConnell broke an NBA record with nine steals in a half. He finished with 10 steals, one shy of the NBA single game-record (11 by Kendall Gill and Larry Kenon).
Though McConnell’s steals, um, stole the show, he played an excellent all-around game. He also had 16 points (on 8-of-8 shooting) and 13 assists for the first points-assists-steals triple-double since Mookie Blaylock in 1998. (Draymond Green had a rebounds-assists-steals triple-double in 2017).
McConnell’s first triple-double came when he was still making a name for himself as an undrafted guard on the 76ers. But now the book is out on him:
He’s a pest.