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.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Pours in career-high 29 points
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McConnell contributed a career-high 29 points (11-16 FG, 4-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT) to go with nine assists, five rebounds and three steals across 32 minutes during Monday's 132-119 loss to Milwaukee.
In the absence of Tyrese Haliburton (knee), McConnell had already been filling it up in the assists, rebounds and steals columns over the previous three contests. While the 30-year-old point guard once again shined in those three areas Monday, the real story was his scoring outburst. He poured in 25 of his points in the first half, going a perfect 9-for-9 from the field, 4-for-4 from three-point range and 3-for-3 from the charity stripe. McConnell cooled off after the break, but he nonetheless looks as though he'll maintain elevated fantasy value for the duration of Haliburton's absence.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Dishes season-high 11 dimes
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McConnell totaled 13 points (6-10 FG, 1-2 3Pt), 11 assists, eight rebounds and two steals across 24 minutes during Saturday's 130-112 loss to Memphis.
Through the first two games of Tyrese Haliburton's (knee) absence, McConnell has remained in a bench role but has nonetheless been a prime beneficiary of the star point guard's absence. McConnell has played exactly 24 minutes in both of the last two contests, averaging 13.0 points, 9.5 assists, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals. Even if his playing time doesn't pick up from this level, McConnell looks like he'll be a strong option in 12-team category leagues while Haliburton is likely sidelined until the early portion of February.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Produces well sans Haliburton
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McConnell closed Wednesday's 119-113 loss to the Knicks with 14 points (6-11 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals over 26 minutes.
McConnell had one of his best performances of the season at a time when the Pacers needed him the most, as he helped fill in for Tyrese Haliburton (knee) following the starting point guard's early departure. Though the Pacers have yet to provide an official diagnosis for Haliburton, he required the assistance of crutches following Wednesday's game and appears likely to miss Friday's game against the Hawks, if not additional contests to follow. If that's the case, McConnell is a prime candidate to jump into the starting lineup, and he could be worthy of a speculative pickup for fantasy managers in need of help in the steals and assists categories.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Good to go Wednesday
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McConnell (shoulder) is available for Wednesday's game versus the Knicks, Akeem Glaspie of IndyStarSports reports.
McConnell has been upgraded from questionable to available Wednesday with right shoulder soreness. He is averaging 6.8 points, 3.0 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 15.2 minutes across his last five games.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Questionable Wednesday
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McConnell (shoulder) is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Knicks.
McConnell left Sunday's win over the Hornets early after jamming his shoulder into Mason Plumlee. If McConnell is sidelined Wednesday, more minutes could be in store for Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Hurts shoulder Sunday
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McConnell is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Hornets due to a sore right shoulder.
McConnell suffered the injury when he jammed his shoulder in the Hornets' Mason Plumlee while setting a screen. If he's unable to return to action, he'll finish Sunday's game with zero points (0-2 FG), one rebound and one steal in nine minutes.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Exits game with injury
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McConnell left Sunday's game versus the Hornets with right shoulder soreness and is questionable to return.
McConnell headed to the locker room in the third quarter of Sunday's contest. He tallied one rebound and one steal in nine minutes before suffering his injury.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Hits for 15 points off bench
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McConnell closed Monday's 122-114 victory over Toronto with 15 points (4-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 7-7 FT), two rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes off the bench.
It's the first time McConnell has scored in double digits in exactly a month, and the 15 points were his best scoring performance since he dropped 19 on the Magic on Nov. 21. The veteran point guard isn't seeing enough court time behind Tyrese Haliburton to be a consistent contributor, and over his last 14 games McConnell is averaging just 5.4 points, 4.3 assists and 1.9 boards over 16.4 minutes a night.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Struggles to score Friday
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McConnell accumulated two points (1-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt), one rebound and five assists across 20 minutes during Friday's 111-108 win over the Heat.
McConnell failed to score double-digit points for the ninth straight game. While the veteran guard provides some fantasy value with averages of 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals, he isn't much more than a reserve option in deeper leagues.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Cleared to return Wednesday
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McConnell (illness) has been cleared to play Wednesday against Minnesota.
McConnell missed the Pacers' last two games due to a non-COVID illness, but he'll join Tyrese Haliburton (groin) and Myles Turner (hamstring) in returning to the rotation Wednesday. The veteran guard is averaging 20.2 minutes per game off the bench over his last 10 appearances. He's providing fantasy managers with 5.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game during that span.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Listed questionable for Wednesday
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McConnell (illness) is questionable for Wednesday's matchup against Minnesota.
McConnell has already missed back-to-back games due to an illness. Tyrese Haliburton (groin) is also questionable, so if both point guards remain sidelined, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Bennedict Mathurin would be candidates for increased roles once again.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Out Monday
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McConnell (illness) won't play in Monday's game against Golden State, Jeremiah Johnson of Bally Sports Indiana reports.
McConnell will miss a second straight matchup while dealing with an illness. Expect Andrew Nembhard to see increased run with McConnell sidelined again.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Questionable Monday
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McConnell (illness) is questionable for Monday's game against the Warriors.
McConnell sat out Sunday against the Trail Blazers due to a non-COVID illness, and it's not yet clear whether he'll be able to suit up for the second half of the back-to-back set. Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard should continue to see increased run if McConnell remains out.
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Pacers' T.J. McConnell: Sitting out Sunday
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McConnell will not play in Sunday's game at Portland due to an illness, Jeremiah Johnson of Bally Sports Indiana reports.
The good news is McConnell is not battling COVID-19, but with the Pacers entering a back-to-back set, he could end up missing a couple of games. The Pacers are also down Tyrese Haliburton (groin), so Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard will likely be looking at heavy workloads.
