Pacers ride bench to first playoff series win in 10 years

Backup point guard T.J. McConnell put up 20 points and nine assists in Indiana’s 120-98 Game 6 win. McConnell had four of Indiana’s seven steals and made both his three-pointers, all his free throws and seven of his nine shots.

He was joined by fellow reserve Obi Toppin, who scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds off the bench. Toppin shot 3-of-10 from three-point range but hit all five of his two-pointers, a lot of hustle buckets and dunks.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo out and Damian Lillard dealing with an injury, the Pacers’ depth and energy simply overwhelmed the short-handed Bucks. Tyrese Haliburton had 10 assists as Indiana collected a staggering 33 in Game 6, compared to Milwaukee’s 19.

But ultimately, Indiana may have simply had Milwaukee’s number this year. In 11 games spanning the regular season, play-in tournament and playoffs, Indiana went 8-3 against Milwaukee.

The veteran Bucks, with an older, often-disinterested defensive backcourt, were a terrible matchup for the young Pacers. When their backups were going for 20-plus points, Milwaukee simply had no chance.