There are losses that feel technical. There are losses that feel biased. Then there are ones that feel emotional, like something slipped away that you may never get back. For the Indiana Pacers, Game 5 was the latter. The box score read 120–109 in favor of Oklahoma City, but the ache wasn’t just about the numbers. It was about the undoing. It was about a team that had never lost two games in a row all postseason suddenly looking uncertain, hesitant, even…  scared. And in the heart of that chaos stood one man who arguably deserved more, TJ McConnell.

On ESPN’s postgame podcast, Brian Windhorst didn’t shy away from stating the obvious, saying, “You know, TJ McConnell was their best guard in this game.” And he wasn’t wrong. McConnell brought energy, pace, and control that no one else seemed to muster in the backcourt. But when it came time for the fourth quarter push, the veteran was benched. Until it was too late.

“There’s going to be some second-guessing of Carlisle not playing McConnell more in the fourth quarter,” Windhorst added. “By the time you brought him in, it was kind of over.” Was it a coaching misstep? Or just the brutal reality of having to ride with your stars when the lights are brightest? Iman Shumpert, on the same podcast, didn’t exactly disagree. “You got to go with your big guns… He could be having the game of his life, but any coach would do it.”

And therein lies the paradox. Rick Carlisle trusted what got him to the Finals—Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard—but in Game 5, it just wasn’t working. Haliburton, who’d been battling through injury, was clearly not himself. He returned late in the game after exiting with what appeared to be a leg injury, gutting it out with 4 little points. Nembhard? Windhorst sure was blunt about him, “This was his least impactful game,” as he could only put up 7 points, 3 rebounds and assists in 35:36 freaking minutes!

“He had some bad passes too,” Windhorst noted. “Wasn’t aggressive… not enough knifing through with intention.” TJ McConnell, on the other hand, played just 21:58 minutes in Game 5. But in those almost 22 minutes, he scored 18 points, 4 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, 2 steals, and sparked life into a flat Indiana offense. He looked like a man playing his heart out, only to sit and watch the moment slip away. “He just wasn’t blessed with the right height,” Shumpert joked, “but he does have the ability.”

TJ McConnell deserved more than the end credits in Game 5 

That ability was on full display. McConnell carved through the Thunder defense with patience and sharp footwork. He got to his spots, found teammates in rhythm, and generally made things happen. His pace was a problem that OKC didn’t have a ready answer for. And yet, Carlisle stuck to the script.

Of course, these are the NBA Finals. Game 5s aren’t where you throw caution to the wind. Coaches revert to instincts, and instincts say ride the stars. But what happens when the stars don’t deliver? When “going back to something that’s just natural, like breathing,” as Shumpert described it, doesn’t work?

That’s the dilemma Carlisle faced. And fans are split. Some see loyalty. Others see stubbornness. But there’s no denying McConnell gave Indiana its best punch… and they barely used it. And now? The Pacers are in unfamiliar territory. Shumpert put it best: “This is the first time we’ve seen this side of them at all. That’s what scares me.” Well, no shock, Sherlock. It scares all of the Pacers’ faithful.

They hadn’t lost back-to-back games since March. Now they’re on the brink. They looked tentative. They looked, for the first time in months, like they didn’t fully believe. And as the series shifts back to OKC for Game 6, the questions only multiply. Can Haliburton bounce back physically and mentally? Can Nembhard find his footing again? Will Carlisle trust what worked… or what’s familiar?

Thunder, on the other hand, brought thunder to the game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is rewriting what dominance looks like in real time. His record-setting Finals run now lives in rare air, standing above names like Jordan and LeBron for 30-point, 5-assist games in a single postseason.

Right alongside him? Chet Holmgren, anchoring the paint like a vet, and Jalen Williams, slashing and creating with a calm that makes you forget he barely started in 2022. This core wasn’t expected to contend just yet.  Too raw, too soon, too nice… you know the works.

But the noise is growing louder, and the Thunder are leaning all the way in. The history books are catching up. If Indiana wants to survive, it might be time to give TJ McConnell more than just a fourth-quarter cameo. Because this isn’t about stars anymore. It’s about who’s actually ready to fight.