The Indiana Pacers (15-43) are not overly concerned with winning games this season, but head coach Rick Carlisle still needs enough healthy players to finish out the campaign. Veteran point guard TJ McConnell tried to give his teammates a brief scare during Tuesday night's home game versus the Philadelphia 76ers (31-26).

McConnell recorded a steal and took off on an uncontested breakaway late in the first quarter. It initially looked as if he might dunk the ball, but he went for the layup instead. The 33-year-old stopped suddenly and appeared to grab at his leg, making light of the entire sequence. He sported a big smile on his way back up the court, and the bench did the same.

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The Pacers currently reside in last place in the Eastern Conference, but they are still managing to stay upbeat amid all the on-court misery. McConnell has more than a decade of NBA experience under his belt and has been with Indiana since the 2019-20 season, so he likely takes it upon himself to keep locker-room morale at a satisfactory level. Leadership can take many forms, including self-deprecation.

The undrafted talent out of Duquesne and Arizona provided the Pacers with a good chuckle, and laughter can be quite therapeutic when a squad is stuck in the basement. The organization is more than willing to stack losses while Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and others recover, especially if it means securing a top-five pick in a lauded draft class, but getting beat down on a regular basis is bound to take a toll on players.

TJ McConnell is doing his part to keep the Pacers grounded. The relentless, high-motor playmaker has multiple layers, but first and foremost, he is on the roster to bring energy. No. 9 certainly accomplished that mission with his “old-man” layup.