T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin on Thursday complemented one another’s play perfectly and they were still trading fist bumps long after the Indiana Pacers celebrated a rare series-clinching victory by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 120-98 in Game 6.
Toppin scored 21 points, while McConnell added 20 points and nine assists to lead the Pacers.
They face the New York Knicks — who won 118-115 over the Philadelphia 76ers later on Thursday — in their first Eastern Conference semi-final series in a decade.
Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA Today
“It means a lot,” McConnell said. “Not getting into the playoffs since the [COVID-19 pandemic] bubble, not being able to advance since 2014, we take great pride in being able to advance and extend our season. Milwaukee has a great team and, if I can be honest with you, I think our bench has taken a couple steps back competitive wise and I think tonight all of us went out there with the mentality we’re going to take it to another level.”
Nobody was better than McConnell. He finished with a playoff career-best scoring total while matching his playoff career-high in assists and claiming four steals — all following a dismal Game 5 in Milwaukee.
He was not going to allow one bad game to derail this milestone moment for Indiana.
Photo: AFP
The 4-2 series victory came exactly 30 years after Indiana won their first NBA playoff series, a 3-0 sweep over the Orlando Magic.
“T.J. actually helped me today, told me to be aggressive, told me to be myself,” said Toppin, who also produced a playoff career-high scoring total. “Everybody did their jobs today, from the starters to the bench, everybody had a good game.”
The short-handed Bucks also played again without two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who never returned to action after straining his left calf on April 9.
Photo: AFP
Damian Lillard returned from a strained right Achilles tendon and played well enough — but was not nearly as dominant as he was in the first two games when he scored 69 points. Lillard finished with 28 points on seven-of-16 shooting.
“I don’t think I would have slept well and I don’t think I would have gone into the summer well if I didn’t at least try,” Lillard said. “I came in for my pregame workout and saw all the gold shirts on the chairs and started moving around and said: ‘Let’s just do it.’”
Bobby Portis Jr added 20 points and 15 rebounds for Milwaukee, while Brook Lopez had 20 points and Khris Middleton had 14 points and eight rebounds.
Photo: Bill Streicher-USA Today
Two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton finished with 17 points, 10 assists and six rebounds for the Pacers, while Pascal Siakam added 19 points and seven rebounds.
Indiana went 8-3 against Milwaukee, who made their second straight first-round exit. It was the first under coach Doc Rivers — the Bucks third coach in 12 months.
“They’ve created a hell of a team, not only young, I think the Siakam trade really will change their fortunes going forward,” Rivers said. “They’re just a tough team. Obviously, we had guys out and all that, and that’s hard, right? But let’s give them credit. I thought they played terrific.”
In Philadelphia, Josh Hart was left alone at the top of the arc and let fly with a go-ahead three-pointer with 24.4 seconds left that helped send the Knicks past the hosts in Game 6.
“I was able to get my feet set and just shoot an open uncontested shot,” Hart said.
Jalen Brunson had 41 points and 12 assists to lead the Knicks.
Game 1 against the Pacers is scheduled for Monday in New York.
The Knicks are through to the second round in consecutive years for the first time since the post-seasons from 1992 to 2000, and even then, nobody did what Brunson did in this series by scoring 40 points or more in each of the final three games.
He became the first Knicks player to do that since Bernard King 40 years ago and the first NBA player to score 40 or more to close out a series since Michael Jordan for the Chicago Bulls against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1989.
In a series defined by tight games, Hart hit the clutch shot that made it 114-111 and again had: “Let’s go Knicks. Let’s go Knicks” chants echoing throughout Philly’s home court.
Joel Embiid scored a bucket, but fouled out on the next possession.
Donte DiVincenzo sealed New York’s win with two free throws.
“The fourth quarter was just one big play after the next,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.
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