The Oklahoma City Thunder were crowned NBA champions on Sunday night after a grueling seven-game series. A 103-91 performance in Game 7 ensured the win for the team, but several members of the NBA community had their doubts about the manner in which the game was officiated, with particular reference to T.J. McConnell.
The Indiana Pacers guard had become the primary source of offense for the team in a dire situation, with Tyrese Haliburton being sidelined for the game with an Achilles injury. McConnell has been a ray of hope for the team, and yet again, he managed to inject life into the team's offense when they needed it the most.
However, there were instances in the second half when some blatantly obvious fouls on the guard were overlooked by officials, sparking some controversy on social media.
An example of this was when Thunder guard Cason Wallace held McConnell's off-hand while dribbling. Although the guard pleaded with the referee for a call, he was ignored, eventually allowing OKC to steal the ball.
This was one among several plays that raised eyebrows from fans on social media. Some shared their reactions to these dubious no-calls as well.
San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan raised his voice on the matter and said, "Can TJ get a foul???"
"Cason Wallace with a textbook open field tackle on TJ McConnell. No foul. Rigged,"added another fan, about the aforementioned play.
Another fan added by saying, "TJ McConnell got fouled on 3 straight buckets. No call. But they immediately blew the whistle for Shai on the other end. It’s game 7 of the finals. Call this shit fair."
"TJ McConnell got fouled at least 10 times in the last 4 possessions. No call lmao,"added another fan while watching the ludicrous display in real time.
Another fan acknowledged this and said, "Craziest thing about these TJ McConnell finishes is that he’s legit getting fouled too."
"Glazing Lu Dort for that “steal” on TJ McConnell that was a blatant reach in foul…. this product is so garbage. Adam Silver you will start coughing in 5 days,"said another fan in light of the blatant fouls committed on the Pacers guard.
One fan acknowledged the disparity in officiating and said, "I don't want to see SGA get that foul call right after seeing Tj McConnell get shoved around with no whistle man."
The nature of foul calls with McConnell was quite questionable. In the third quarter, the Pacers guard was practically carrying the team on his back. For an extended stretch of time, he was the only player scoring for the Pacers.
What is important to note here is that in his scoring efforts, the guard was repeatedly bumped and shoved, with no whistle being awarded to him.
McConnell's overall productivity of 16 points gave the Pacers some hope in the third quarter. But the eventual result saw OKC run away with it in due time, amassing a massive lead to close out the game.
As solid as the Pacers' veteran was, he was also a culprit in killing the team's overall offensive flow. By holding onto the ball for too long, barring the missed foul calls, McConnell turned over the ball a great deal, leading to easy baskets for the Thunder. He ended the game with a total of six turnovers.
Regardless, the guard etched himself in the hearts of NBA fans for his bravery and unrelenting effort in very unfavorable circumstances. With a loss in the books, however, the Pacers will return to Indiana with a lot of disappointment.
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