T.J. McConnell Led The Sixers To A Game 4 Win Over The Celtics To Keep Philly’s Season Alive


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The Eastern Conference Semifinals haven’t been especially kind to the Philadelphia 76ers. From a 22-point lead evaporating in Game 2 to a brutal overtime loss in Game 3, there hasn’t been much to get excited about for Brett Brown and company but, on Monday evening, the Sixers put together their most impressive performance of the series and they were led by an unexpected source to stave off elimination with a Game 4 victory over the Boston Celtics.

Prior to tip-off, Brown made the controversial decision to remove struggling Robert Covington from the starting lineup and replace him with backup point guard T.J. McConnell. When the dust settled, it was McConnell that served as a considerable bright spot for the Sixers, finishing the evening with a career-best 19 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists in 39 minutes of action. In conjunction with strong efforts from Dario Saric (25 points, eight rebounds, four assists), Joel Embiid (15 points, 13 rebounds and a game-best +22), and others, that was enough to avoid a season-ending defeat.


McConnell isn’t known for his statistical brilliance but, on this night, he served as a steadying influence and even received chants in his honor from the crowd at Wells Fargo Center, egged on by his teammates on the bench.

Philadelphia navigated an ugly first half (from both sides) by limiting itself to only two turnovers and that was enough to open the floodgates after halftime. In the third quarter, McConnell scored seven points, dished out four assists, and grabbed three rebounds, setting the tone and helping the Sixers to gain a lead they would never relinquish.


In addition to the heroics from McConnell, some credit for “inspiring” the winning team (and the home crowd) was given to a kerfuffle between Boston’s Terry Rozier and Embiid in the first half. At that point, the game was tight and inefficient on both sides but it was all Sixers following the scuffle and a shortened rotation of only eight players paid ultimate dividends for Philadelphia in the ultimate high-leverage situation.

With the series shifting back to Boston for Game 5 and the Celtics owning two of the final three games at home, the task is incredibly tall for the Sixers when it comes to putting together an historic comeback. Still, winning Game 4 was the only way forward for Philadelphia and a long-time member of “The Process” changed roles and excelled to help keep his team alive.

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