The Pacers relied on unlikely heroes to eliminate the Bucks from the NBA playoffs on Thursday night.
Backup guard T.J. McConnell and backup forward Obi Toppin were Indiana's two leading scorers, both hitting career playoff highs in points.
McConnell finished the game with 20 points while Toppin chipped in with 21 in the Pacers' 120-98 win.
McConnell was 2 of 2 on his three-pointers, including one late in the third quarter. He also had a nice spin move on a layup in the fourth as Indiana pulled away.
TJ McConnell cashes in from 3-point range to extend Indy's lead heading into the 4Q!@Pacers - 93@Bucks - 78
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2024
IND advances to the East Semis with a win on TNT pic.twitter.com/At4oKhpqb9
TJ McConnell spins into the layup to push the Pacer lead in the 4Q ️
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2024
IND advances to the East Semis with a win on TNT pic.twitter.com/daTCDZr8nV
Toppin was only 3 of 10 on his threes, but was a perfect 5 of 5 from inside the arc with most of those shots coming from the restricted area.
Obi Toppin for 3⃣ to push Indy's lead in the 1Q!
— NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2024
IND advances to the East Semis with a win on TNT pic.twitter.com/L9TgXozpoZ
Andrew Nembhard finds Obi Toppin with the full court assist on TNT!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/KuKd0QileG
— NBA (@NBA) May 3, 2024
Their performances were key parts of Indiana's overwhelming 50-10 advantage in bench points. The Bucks starters more than held their own, outscoring the Pacers' starting five, 88-70. Guard Damian Lillard led all scorers with 28 points.
But forward Giannis Antetokounmpo's calf injury, which loomed large throughout the first-round series, was too much for Milwaukee to overcome, particularly with Indiana's "others" giving oversized performances.
McConnell entered Thursday's game with only two career playoff performances of at least 10 points. Toppin was eighth on the team in points per game (10.3) during the regular season.
It's a positive sign for Indiana going forward that its bench is capable of taking over and winning games.
This is the first time Indiana has advanced to the second round of the playoffs since 2014 when Paul George and David West were dueling with "The Big Three" era Heat.
The Pacers had five consecutive first-round exits from 2016-20. They will play either the Knicks or 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
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