Jalen Williams and the Thunder came out as the victors of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Pacers. It was a competitive series, as the Pacers fought to the end, including a standout series from T.J. McConnell.
The 2025 NBA Finals were one of the most competitive series in a while. It was a nail-biting seven-game series, as the Oklahoma City Thunder struggled to put the Indiana Pacers away. Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were superb for the Thunder, but the Pacers kept coming back.
Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam were the standout players for the Pacers. On the other hand, T.J. McConnell stole the show as the sixth man for Indiana. McConnell had many scoring outbursts, and he was always a pesky defender.
The Thunder knew they could win, but McConnell was playing well enough to carry the Pacers as a bench player. Oklahoma City won the series and the championship, but they went through adversity to do so.
Photo by Justin Ford/Getty ImagesMcConnell had Williams and the Thunder worried in the Finals
The expectations were high for the Thunder, as they were the favorites for the series. However, Indiana earned wins throughout the series. Players like Haliburton and Siakam were doing well as the standout stars. However, McConnell always found a way to shine with his energy off the bench.
“I genuinely believe that playing hard is a skill.” — TJ McConnell backed that up by becoming the first bench player in NBA Finals history with 10 pts, 5 assists, and 5 steals in just 15 minutes 😤😤😤 pic.twitter.com/nHgb9qfiUy
— TheYoungManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) June 12, 2025
View Tweet
Most people would know McConnell as an energetic point guard who plays pesky defense. He made sure everyone knew his game. He was that defender, but he also had an unstoppable offensive game. He mostly relied on speed and a good mid-range jump shot, which worked in the Finals.
Unfortunately for the Pacers, they couldn’t sustain their momentum and win the championship. The Thunder took over with Williams having a 40-point performance in Game 5 and Gilgeous-Alexander carrying them over the line.
“Dude’s so annoying. Special player though. He’s been cool. What’s cool is like, looking back at it, I was able to kind of share a couple of moments during the game. He was really cool to me when I got drafted,” Williams said on The Young Man And The Three.
“We’ve always kept in touch, and every time we play, it’s cool. He played there (Arizona) obviously, and I’m from there. He knows the area… He’s just a good dude, and I think he and AC (Alex Caruso) are cool too.”
“He’s a special player, but he was very annoying during that series… We were thinking the same thing. Yeah, he was like running off the run, we were like bro. He was annoying during that series, and annoying is a good thing. He played his butt off that series.”
McConnell has finally earned people’s respect after a long career
McConnell entered the league as an undrafted player in 2015 after four years in college at Arizona. He earned his way to a roster spot for the Philadelphia 76ers, where he spent four years. He was always a pesky defender and a reliable point guard.
However, he got his break when he moved to the Pacers in 2019, where he has been since. Through the years, McConnell has been a reliable backup point guard. Pacers fans knew he was a good player, but most of the NBA was not aware of him.
Their magical 2025 postseason run was a true look into what McConnell does on a night-to-night basis for Indiana. Of course, he is not outscoring the star players regularly, but he always makes a big play.
At 33, McConnell still has a few years left, and the Pacers will likely stick with him. He is a special player for them, and he will always step up for the team. With Rick Carlisle’s trust, he will be the backup again, but he has more responsibility in lieu of Haliburton’s absence.