T.J. Warren has been one of the best players during the seeding games of the NBA's restart in Orlando so far.
Other than an off game against his former team in the Phoenix Suns, the 6-8 forward has been on fire for the Indiana Pacers. In a total of 190 minutes played across the first five games, he is averaging a league-best (since the restart) 34.8 points per game at a remarkable shooting efficiency of 60.5% from the field and 55.6% from beyond the arc.
Courtesy of his hot scoring form, he's broken or tied numerous franchise records and set career-highs in multiple categories.
MORE: Surprised by T.J. Warren? You shouldn't be
In the bubble, he's had five 16-point quarters so far. Warren's always had a reputation for being a bucket getter, but his recent explosion couldn't have come at a better time for the Pacers.
With Domantas Sabonis leaving the bubble to see a specialist for his foot injury, Jeremy Lamb rehabbing his ACL and Victor Oladipo working to find his rhythm, Warren has carried the load on offence for his team.
He's even icing the games that come down the wire.
His performances in Orlando are very reminiscent of what he did back in October of last year in the first-ever NBA game played in India.
Rewind to Oct. 4
On October 4th in 2019, at the first-ever NBA India Games held at the NSCI Dome, T.J. Warren stole the show under circumstances very similar to those in the current Orlando bubble.
Yes, the historic contest in Mumbai is a one-game sample size but all Indians witnessed a glimpse of what Warren could do, all of which he is doing right now in the season restart.
Double-digit scoring quarters? He scored 11 in the third quarter of that game.
Lifting a shorthanded team? Just like the current situation in which the Pacers are without a number of key players and are still helping another connect with the team, in October, the Pacers were without Oladipo, who was still rehabbing from his right quad injury and had yet to integrate Malcolm Brogdon, the team's offseason acquisition who would also make his Pacers debut in this game.
Game-high points tally on red-hot shooting? He scored 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from beyond the arc in the 132-131 win.
MORE: Takeaways from the Pacers' comeback OT win in India
Sealing games? He knocked down the game-tying corner 3 in the closing seconds of regulation, which would prove to be the shot that forced overtime. That's not all, as he would help the Pacers complete the 21-point comeback and win by scoring seven of the team's 14 points in the extra session.
Pacers fans, meet @TonyWarrenJr 😤 pic.twitter.com/mx1cfibRQO
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 4, 2019
One-of-a-kind audience? While it's virtual fans in the bubble, Warren's performance in India came in front of 3,000 boys and girls from participating Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA schools in Mumbai.
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