Pacers Upgrade Status For Guard T.J. McConnell Ahead of Facing 76ers
INDIANAPOLIS — After Pacers practice on Monday, T.J. McConnell remained on the court to work on his shooting. Going against a team staff member, he worked on his mid-range jumper from about 10 feet out.
He was dressed in practice attire and now it's becoming more likely that he plays in a game again this season, which has been a goal of his.
After he did "a little bit" at practice, according to head coach Rick Carlisle, the team upgraded McConnell's status to questionable ahead of hosting the Philadelphia 76ers to Gainbridge Fieldhouse Tuesday night.
McConnell just celebrated his 30th birthday last week, but hasn't played in a game since Dec. 1 against the Atlanta Hawks. He exited just a few minutes in and hasn't worn a Pacers jersey since — except for the team photo.
McConnell then underwent surgery on his right wrist on Dec. 7 to repair a torn ligament. The surgery was performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
Since McConnell last played, the Pacers made three deals at the trade deadline with one centered on acquiring their point guard of the future in 22-year-old Tyrese Haliburton.
Tuesday is the Pacers' regular-season home finale. It's also against the 76ers, McConnell's former team. And then they'll play them again on Saturday in Philadelphia (1:00 p.m. ET).
He's still very close with several members of the 76ers, including MVP-candidate Joel Embiid. McConnell went undrafted in 2015, earned a roster spot and then spent four seasons with the organization. They chose not to bring him back in 2019, so he then signed with the Pacers in what he called a stressful free agency.
The Pacers are 25-54 with three games left and have already been eliminated from the postseason. They're going to be a participant in the draft lottery for the second consecutive season.
They've lost seven straight games and are on track to have a top five pick, their first time inside the top 10 since 1989.
The Pacers have ruled out four players for the rest of the season: T.J. Warren, Myles Turner, Chris Duarte and Ricky Rubio.
