The Pacers staff tells Espn to stop shooting an emotional TJ McConnell after the loss of game 7 in the NBA finals
The Indian Pacers fought hard after losing Tyrese Haliburton due to an injury during the match 7 of the NBA finals. While the whole team deserves the merit of trying to overcome after losing Haliburton, TJ McConnell had to manage the biggest load.
McConnell was forced to a much bigger role after Haliburton’s injury. McConnell offered an admirable performance, dropping 16 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in the 103-91 loss.
Announcement
After the competition, McConnell was among the most emotional players of the Pacers. He came out of the field with a towel above his head, clearly hit by the loss.
The entire scene was captured by Espn, who followed McConnell in the tunnel. Once there, McConnell was comforted by a Pacers staff, who told the operator of the Espn camera to stop shooting his guard.
That staff seems to be Karen Atkeson, director of promotions for the Pacer. While the cameras approached too much at Atkeson and McConnell, Atkeson can be listened to tell them to “stop” on the broadcast.
Atkeson is a longtime member of the Pacers and has been with the team since 1997.
Announcement
It was a difficult night for McConnell, who was forced to act following Haliburton’s accident. While McConnell saw the time to play during the playoffs, the Pacers leaned on to him for 28:06 in the game 7. It was the most played game time received during the race to the playoffs of the team.
McConnell put strong numbers at a loss, but he was also responsible for seven turnover of the team. Those proved expensive. Thunder’s wave in the third quarter was largely the result of Pacer’s turnover. Oklahoma City has passed the Pacers of 14 points in the fourth, essentially putting away the game thanks to the tributes of Indiana.
This probably made the loss even more difficult for McConnell, who is still looking for his first NBA championship. The veteran should have another opportunity for dispute in the next two seasons, since he has signed an extension with the Pacer in 2024 which will keep him with the team during the NBA season of 2027-28.
Despite Haliburton’s injury, Pacers are still considered strong contenders to win the NBA 2025-26 finals.