Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania had a record-setting night when it came to steals on Wednesday. According to Sam Quinn of CBS Sports, McConnell set the NBA record for most steals in the first half of a game (nine), and became the first player in NBA history to have a triple-double with a double-digit total in steals when coming off the bench (10) according to Yash Matange of The Sporting News.
McConnell finished the game with 16 points, 13 assists and 10 steals, as the Indiana Pacers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-111. McConnell successfully shot all eight of his field-goal attempts in 36 minutes and 27 seconds of action. The product of Duquesne and Arizona also had a block.
McConnell also set the Pacers franchise record for most steals in a game. The NBA record for steals in a game belongs to Kendall Gill of Chicago, Illinois, and Larry Kenon of Birmingham, Alabama, who each have 11. Kenon achieved the mark on Boxing Day, 1976, while with the San Antonio Spurs, in a 110-105 Spurs win over the Kansas City Kings. Gill then tied the record on April 3, 1999, while with the New Jersey Nets, in an 88-77 Nets win over the Miami Heat.
McConnell is also averaging two steals a game, and has 62 steals this season. Both categories lead the NBA. Jrue Holiday of the Milwaukee Bucks is second in the NBA with 1.8 steals per game, while Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, and Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors are second in the NBA with 58 steals.
This has been the second significant triple-double for the Pacers this season. On February 17, Domantas Sabonis became the first Pacers player in franchise history to have 30 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game.
Only 10 times before has a player recorded a triple-double with double figures in steals. With the win, the Pacers improved to a record of 16 wins and 18 losses. They are tied with the Chicago Bulls for ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
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