INDIANAPOLIS — Pacers veteran point guard T.J. McConnell played 5 minutes and 56 seconds in the first quarter of Monday’s game against the Cavs but hasn’t returned to the floor since. He scored four points on 2 of 3 shooting and recorded a rebound an assist and a steal.
According to Pacers public relations, McConnell wasn’t officially removed with an injury designation. However, McConnell is almost three weeks removed from his return from a hamstring strain in the preseason that cost him a month of action, including the season’s first seven games. The Pacers were playing their third game in four nights on Monday.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after the game that McConnell did not reinjure the hamstring, but he sensed some soreness and fatigue in him and thought it best not to put him back in.
“He played in the back-to-back, his first back-to-back on Friday and Saturday,” Carlisle said. “He was a little sore after those two games. We got him warmed up and everything before the game. He said he was OK, but once he started playing, he just didn’t look himself. I thought it was best just to pull the plug for tonight. The hope is that he’ll be ready for Wednesday, but there’s no injury or anything like that.”
McConnell entered Monday’s game averaging 10.4 points per game on 51.6% shooting to go with 4.6 assists per game. He scored in double figures for five straight games from Nov. 19-28. In six games prior to Monday, he averaged 13.0 points per game on 61.7% shooting to go with 6.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game against 1.2 turnovers per game.