The Philadelphia 76ers managed to avoid a sweep in their series against the mighty Boston Celtics. After the game, Sixers head coach Brett Brown was all praises for T.J. McConnell.
As posted by NBA TV, Brown's strategy coming into Game 4 was to revive his team's energy and spirit. He believed that one way to succeed in this mission was to insert in McConnell, who is known for his relentlessness and extreme competitive spirit:
“And I really felt, when I personally zoomed in, what can I do to help the team the most was to remind them how good of a season they have had — to retain, maintain, increase their spirit and try to focus on that as much as anything.”
“And there's no other player to catapult the start of the game with that mindset than T.J. And the decision was based on a lot of other things but that was the main thing – just the energy and the spirit.”
Below is the full clip of the interview:
"He's like a throwback type of player. He's just a tremendous teammate, an incredible competitor."@sixers HC Brett Brown on @TJMcConnell #NBAPlayoffs | #PhilaUnite pic.twitter.com/p8qLzNWFtg
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 8, 2018
In 38 minutes, McConnell finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. He was a +18 whenever on the floor. More than the tangibles, the energy he manifested gave his team that much-needed boost. The energy he displayed evidently transferred to his teammates. The undrafted guard out of Arizona even got a standing ovation for his efforts.
The Sixers managed to avoid the sweep. Every game will be an uphill battle from now on. Hopefully, McConnell's grit leaks onto his teammates once again as they desperately need every single ounce of it.
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