Jalen Williams and Thunder appeared as winners of the Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals. It was a competitive series as the Pacers fought to the end, including TJ McConnell’s outstanding series.
The 2025 NBA Finals have been one of the most competitive series for a while. It was a nail biting 7 game series as the Oklahoma City Thunder struggled to drive the Indiana Pacers out. Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were excellent at Thunder, but the Pacers are back.
Tyreese Halliburton and Pascal Siakam were outstanding players for the Pacers. Meanwhile, TJ McConnell stole the show as Indiana’s sixth man. McConnell had many scoring explosions and he was always a nasty defender.
Thunder knew he could win, but McConnell played enough to carry the pacers as a bench player. Oklahoma City won the series and championship, but they experienced adversity to do so.
They were a favorite of the series, so expectations were high for Thunder. However, Indiana won the entire series. Players like Halliburton and Siakam were doing well as standout stars. But McConnell always found a way to shine with his energy from the bench.
Most people will know McConnell as an energetic point guard who gives a nasty defense. He made sure everyone knew his game. He was that defender, but he also had an unstoppable offensive game. He relied primarily on speed and excellent midrange jump shots. This was working in the final.
Unfortunately for Pacer, they were unable to maintain momentum and win the championship. The Thunder were brought in by Williams with a 40-point performance in Game 5, with Gilgauss Alexander being carried over the line.
“Dude is such a nuisance. A special player. He was cool. What’s cool was that, looking back on it, sharing a few moments during the game. When he was drafted, he was really cool.”
“We’re always in touch and every time we play, it’s cool, he played there (Arizona).
“He’s a special player, but it was very annoying during that series… We were thinking the same thing. Yeah, he ran off and we were like brothers. He was annoying in that series. Annoyance is good.
McConnell joined the league in 2015 as an undrafted player after four years of college in Arizona. He won the path to the Philadelphia 76ers roster spot, where he spent four years. He has always been a nasty defender and a reliable point guard.
However, he took a break when he moved to the Pacers in 2019. For many years, McConnell has been a reliable backup point guard. Pacers fans knew he was a good player, but most of the NBA didn’t notice him.
Their magical 2025 postseason run was a true sight to what McConnell was doing from night to night in Indiana. Of course, he doesn’t beat the star players regularly, but he’s always playing big.
At 33, McConnell still has a few years left, and the Pacers will likely stick with him. He is a special player to them and he always steps up for his team. Rick Carlisle’s trust makes him a backup again, but instead of Halliburton’s absence he has more responsibility.