T.J. McConnell has built his Pacers reputation on the kind of stuff that doesn’t always jump off the page, but every so often he turns in a line that belongs in a category almost no one else can touch.
The Indiana guard is one of just two active players to log 10 assists and 10 steals in a single game, according to Pacers Lead on X. The only other player on that list is Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green.
McConnell did it on March 3, 2021, against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the night was as loud as the stat line suggests: 16 points, 13 assists, 10 steals and two rebounds. He was perfect from the floor, going 8-for-8. He also set an NBA record that night with nine steals in the first half.
It’s the kind of outlier performance that fits McConnell’s identity. He has never been the Pacers’ headline scorer, though he can put the ball in the basket and has shown a comfort level in the mid-range. What has defined him is the defense, the pace, and the constant energy he brings every time he steps on the court.
That’s why he has become one of the league’s most valuable backup point guards, and why Indiana has leaned on him so heavily during his time with the team. Last season, the 34-year-old appeared in 56 games and made four starts, averaging 9.4 points, 5.1 assists, 2.2 rebounds and a steal while shooting 53.8 percent from the field.
Heading into the 2026-27 NBA season, McConnell is expected to remain a key piece as the Pacers try to get back into the mix in the Eastern Conference. Indiana’s recent identity has centered on physical defense, and McConnell has been at the front of that approach alongside Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith.
The challenge now is bouncing back from a brutal 2025-26 season that ended at 19-63, one year after the franchise reached the NBA Finals.
Indiana opens the regular season on October 21 on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans. The home opener at Gainbridge Fieldhouse follows on October 23 against the Dallas Mavericks.
In Other News...
Pacers Just Got A Brutal Reminder About The Easts New Reality
The East just got a fresh jolt of star power, and for Indiana it serves as a sharp reminder of how crowded the path has become. According to Shams Charania, the Clippers have sent Kawhi Leonard to Toronto in a deal that brings back two unprotected first-round picks, Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick, a swing that changes the balance of power and deepens the list of teams with real top-end talent in the conference.
For the Pacers, the timing matters because they have built around depth, speed and continuity, but not around a clear top-10 player. That can be a hard sell in a conference where contenders keep adding marquee names and high-end talent, and it leaves Indiana with a familiar question as it looks ahead: how far can a well-constructed roster carry them if the ceiling around them keeps rising? [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburton Just Reminded Everyone What The Pacers Still Depend On
Dean Olivers recent argument that Tyrese Haliburton belongs in the conversation as the best player from the 2020 NBA Draft only reinforces how central he has become to everything Indiana wants to do. Since arriving in a 2022 trade, Haliburton has piled up two All-NBA Third Team nods and two All-Star appearances, and the Pacers have already seen how sharply their level drops when he is not on the floor.
Even with a five-year extension signed in 2023, the bigger question now is less about his standing around the league and more about how Indiana manages him going into the new season. The Pacers know what they depend on when Haliburton is running the offense, which is why there is so much attention on whether he will be brought along carefully as the schedule begins. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Suddenly Face Their Toughest Pascal Siakam Choice Yet
Pascal Siakam has already become one of the defining pieces of Indianas recent rise since arriving in January 2024, giving the Pacers the kind of two-way stability and playoff-caliber presence they spent years trying to find. Now he is eligible for a three-year, $207 million extension, and the front office has a decision that reaches far beyond a simple contract offer.
The Pacers can try to lock him in now, explore something shorter, or keep their options open and push the conversation closer to the end of his current deal, which runs through the 2027-28 season. However they handle it, the choice comes down to the same balancing act: preserving roster flexibility while making sure a player with Siakams impact does not slip into a much messier negotiation later. [Read more 🡒]