The Sixers' 103-92 Game 4 win over the Celtics will forever be known as The T.J. McConnell Game (see story).
Still, could there be multiple T.J. McConnell games? Could the Sixers really pull off history with the fan favorite guard in the lineup?
There are a few reasons to think the success Brett Brown and the Sixers had by inserting McConnell in place of Robert Covington might be sustainable. First and most obvious is the energy and intensity he brings to every game. Marcus Smart said the Celtics actually expected McConnell to be in the lineup, but McConnell still managed to have a major impact.
"Exactly what we knew they were going to do," Smart said. "We knew they were probably going to start T.J. He brings energy off the bench, chaos, creates that spark that they need, and that's what he did."
Sports
In partnership with NBC Sports Philadelphia
McConnell is also much less reliant on his outside jumper than Covington, meaning he's less prone to a cold shooting night. Only two of McConnell's nine field goals in Game 4 were outside the paint.
Some of that inside success may have simply been catching Boston off guard, even if the Celtics would never admit it. McConnell said he thought the Celtics may not have realized he's not always probing the paint just to pass.
"There were some plays in transition where I was able to get in there, but I just saw openings in pick-and-rolls and tried to attack," McConnell said. "I feel like they thought I was going to pass it out and they kind of gave me some room, so I was able to make a lot of shots in the paint."
While the Celtics will almost certainly learn their lesson that McConnell is capable of scoring inside, he can help the Sixers even if he's not putting up 19 points each night. One way having McConnell on the court helps is simply taking pressure off Ben Simmons. The rookie point guard had a lighter load in Game 4, playing 32 minutes, which isn't the worst thing in the world given how well the Celtics have guarded him this series.
Simmons was able to operate more out of the post when he played with McConnell, and was more aggressive in that position, attempting 15 field goals and eight foul shots. There's no doubt having McConnell in the lineup shifts some of the ball-handling and distribution burden away from Simmons. It also helps the Sixers play faster.
"They can push the pace more," Terry Rozier said. "You've got two ball handlers instead of trying to give it to Simmons every time bringing the ball up the court. He played very well tonight."
Perhaps the most important aspect of McConnell is his defense on Rozier. Heading into Game 4, Rozier had roasted the Sixers, averaging 22.3 points on 50 percent shooting. Rozier was much less effective Monday, posting just 11 points on 4-for-11 shooting, and McConnell was the main reason.
On the 29 possessions when McConnell defended Rozier, the Celtics' guard scored one point and missed all three of his field-goal attempts. With McConnell tailing Rozier and effectively eliminating him as an offensive option, Boston struggled. The Celtics scored only 18 points on those 29 possessions.
It's unlikely McConnell will set new career highs in every successive game. Boston will be more focused on him as an offensive threat, and he won't be able to fire up the home fans in Game 5 like he did Monday night.
Nevertheless, it's not so crazy to think that, in this particular series, the Sixers are a more potent team with him in the lineup. The Sixers still face tough odds to win this series, but McConnell (yes, T.J. McConnell) at least gives them a better shot.
