Pittsburgh Native T.J. McConnell Breaks NBA Steals Record
CLEVELAND (AP/KDKA) — T.J. McConnell set an NBA record with nine steals in the first half and posted his second career triple-double with 16 points, 13 assists, and a franchise-best 10 steals, leading the Indiana Pacers to a 114-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
McConnell also went 8 of 8 from the field in 36 minutes off the bench as Indiana rallied from a 19-point deficit in the third quarter to end its four-game losing streak. Malcolm Brogdon scored 29 points and Domantas Sabonis had 18 points for the Pacers.
"That's as good of an all-around game from T.J. as you're going to see in the NBA with the multiple ways he affected it," Brogdon said. "He's the ultimate teammate, as well, so we were all very happy for him."
The NBA record of 11 steals in a game is shared by New Jersey's Kendall Gill on April 3, 1999, against Miami, and San Antonio's Larry Kenon on Dec. 26, 1976, at Kansas City.
McConnell's previous career-best was six steals on two occasions, the last on Feb. 12, 2018, against New York, when he had his first triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. The sixth-year pro leads the league in steals with 2.0 per game.
"The guys showered me with water after the game, but I don't remember much about it because it was so cold," McConnell said, laughing. "It was not enjoyable, but it was enjoyable at the same time if that makes any sense."
McConnell, a Chartiers Valley alum, also spent two seasons in college playing for Duquesne before transferring to Arizona.
During his two seasons at Duquesne, McConnell was named the Atlantic 10's Freshman of the Year and averaged 2.8 steals per game in those seasons.
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