Latest Indiana Pacers News

    Indiana Pacers Franchise Information

    Have a read on below at some quick stats and facts on the Indiana Pacers to get you started: 

    Established:1967
    Stadium:Bankers Life Fieldhouse 
    Colours:Navy blue, yellow & cool grey
    Hall of Famers:Alex English, Adrian Dantley, Gus Johnson, Chris Mullin, Mel Daniels, Reggie Miller & Roger Brown 
    Hall of Fame Coaches:Jack Ramsay, Bobby Leonard & Larry Brown
    Rivals:Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks & Miami Heat
    Legends:Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Billy Knight, Roger Brown, Jermaine O’Neal, Danny Granger, Mel Daniels, Chris Mullin, George McGinnis & Mark Jackson
    Retired Numbers:30, 31, 34, 35 & 529
    Conference: Eastern Conference
    Division:Central Division
    NBA Championships:None

    Indiana Pacers History

    The Indiana Pacers were formed in 1967 as one of the 11 teams of the new American Basketball Association, rivalling the NBA. The team’s first player was Roger Brown, an athletic forward whose number is now retired for the franchise. The Pacers made the playoffs in their inaugural season, but were defeated in the first round by eventual champions, the Pittsburgh Pipers. 

    That off-season the Pacers traded for 1968 Rookie of the Year Mel Daniels. Daniels would go on to win MVP that season leading the Pacers to the ABA Finals where they were defeated by the Oakland Oaks. 

    Led by Daniels, the Pacers went on to win the ABA Championship in the 1969-70 season, including a ABA high 177 points in a game against the Pipers. Brown dominated the Finals series against the Los Angeles Stars averaging 32 points and 10 rebounds. 

    The 1970-71 season saw the Pacers moved into the Western Division, where they finished the 1 seed but were defeated by eventual ABA Champions, the Utah Stars. The Pacers won the next two ABA titles led by Daniels, Brown and local young gun George McGinnis who averaged 27.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game in the 1971-72 season, which included a 58 point game against Dallas. 

    McGinnis emerged as the focal point of the team as Daniels and Brown had below average years, eventually being traded after a disappointing end in the 1974 playoffs. With the increased responsibility, McGinnis thrived. ‘Big Mac’ would win co-MVP and go on to average 32 points, 16 rebounds and 8 assists in the 1995 playoffs, where Indiana would again make the Finals, but go down to the Kentucky Colonels. 

    All of the ABA teams were struggling financially during this time and in the 1975 offseason McGinnis left the Pacers for bigger money in the NBA. The Pacers ended up making the playoffs in the 1975-76 season, in which would be the last ABA season before merging with the NBA. 

    Only four teams were going to be absorbed by the NBA and Indiana, along with the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and New York Nets were selected to play in the NBA. 

    The Indiana Pacers struggled with the new competition only having a winning record and making the playoffs twice in their first 13 seasons in the NBA from 1976-77 to 1988-89. 

    The Pacers selected UCLA standout Reggie Miller in the 1987 NBA draft, which was met with discontent from the Indianapolis locals, who much preferred home grown hero and Indiana Hoosiers star Steve Alford. The following year the Pacers drafted Rik Smits and then in the 1988-89 season traded for Detlef Schrempf. 

    Miller, Smits and Schrempf would lead the Pacers to the playoffs in the 1989-90 season with Reggie Miller making the All Star game. The 1990 playoffs would be the first of four straight seasons of the Pacers making the playoffs but being eliminated in the first round, twice to the Boston Celtics. 

    Following the four straight first round exits, Larry Brown was brought in as Head Coach of the Pacers and Schrempf was controversially traded to Seattle. This was justified as the Pacers beat superstar Shaquille O’Neal and the Orlando Magic in the first round, marking the Pacers first NBA Playoffs series win. 

    They then went on to defeat the 1-seed Atlanta Hawks to set up a match up with the New York Knicks. With the series tied 2-2 and the Pacers down by 15 points in the fourth quarter, Miller pulled the Pacers back from the deficit, scoring 25 points in the fourth by himself and infamously taunting Knicks season ticket holder Spike Lee with a choking motion. This was short lived as New York won the next two games to defeat the Pacers 4-3. 

    Mark Jackson joined the team that offseason and helped the team have their first 50 win season since joining the NBA, getting back to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers defeated their rivals the Knicks in the conference semi-finals with Miller scoring 8 points in 8.9 seconds of game 1 to give the Pacers a series defining victory. The Pacers lost the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games to the Orlando Magic. 

    The Pacers continued their winning ways in the 1995-96 season with a 52-30 record and were the only team able to beat the 72-10 win Chicago Bulls twice during the season. Late in the season Reggie Miller suffered an eye injury that kept him out until the deciding game 5 of the first round against the Atlanta Hawks, where despite 29 points in his return, the Pacers were unable to overcome the Hawks and their season ended prematurely. 

    Jackson was traded that off-season and injuries during the 1996-97 season meant that the Pacers were unable to make the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. Larry Brown stepped down as head coach, being the Pacers most successful in the NBA but unable to lead the team to the NBA Finals during his time. 

    Indiana local and NBA legend Larry Bird became the head coach of the team who also acquired Chris Mullin to start at small forward, joining Miller and Smits to lead the team to their best record since joining the NBA of 58-24. The Pacers easily defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Knicks before facing Jordan and the Bulls again, this time in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals. 

    The Pacers were unable to overcome the Bulls in what would be Chicago’s third straight championship and the last season Jordan, Pippen and Phil Jackson were with the team, opening up a pathway for the Pacers to the NBA Finals. 

    The Pacers were among the NBA’s elite again in 1998-99, sweeping the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers in the first two rounds of the playoffs before facing the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, who beat the Pacers in six games. 

    The following season was almost a carbon copy for the Pacers, breezing through the regular season before defeating the Bucks and the 76ers in the first two rounds to set up another match up with the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

    Under Bird’s guidance, Miller, Smits and Mullin were able to lead the Pacers to revenge over the Knicks and their first ever NBA Finals appearance. It was never to be, unfortunately going up against Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers who beat the Pacers 4-2. 

    Smits and Bird both retired and Mullin left in free agency, leaving Miller to lead the team with newly acquired centre Jermaine O’Neal. In what was supposed to be a rebuilding season, the Pacers made the playoffs but went down to the 76ers in the first round. 

    The following season saw a blockbuster trade that landed Ron Artest and Brad Miller among others to help Miller and O’Neal make another push towards the playoffs, getting the 8th seed and going out in the first round for the second straight season. 

    The Pacers were set for a big push in the 2002-03 season but Artest’s multiple suspensions and O’Neal’s time away for personal reasons meant the team was unable to gather enough momentum, falling in the first round of the playoffs for the third straight season. O’Neal and Brad Miller were both All Stars but the 2003 off season saw salary cap issues cause Miller to leave the team. 

    Larry Bird was named team president and appointed his former assistant coach Rick Carlisle to the lead position. The players responded well to Carlisle, O’Neal and Artest were All Stars and Artest was named Defensive Player of the Year, leading the team to the 1-seed in the East and another Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers fell short yet again, falling to eventual champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-2. 

    The Pacers rivalry with the Pistons hit its lowest point during the 2004-05 season after a hard Artest foul on Piston’s big man Ben Wallace, starting what is infamously known now as the ‘Malice at the Palace’. An all in brawl from both teams and fans began, with Artest chasing a Pistons fan into the crowd who had thrown soda over him and O’Neal striking a fan who had charged the court. 

    Four Pacers players were suspended following the incident, with the worst being Artest who was suspended the rest of the season, including playoffs, which ended up being a 73-game suspension. The suspensions caused the Pacers to struggle, and after being one of the championship favourites, they only managed to hold on to the 6th seed in the East. 

    The Pacers would beat the Celtics in the first round before facing the Pistons yet again. Detroit defeated the Pacers in 6 games, with Miller playing his last game in game 6, receiving a standing ovation but failing to win an NBA Championship in his 18 year career, all with the Pacers. 

    Despite losing Miller, Indiana would stay afloat in the 2005-06 season, led by O’Neal and rookie Danny Granger, making the playoffs for the 16th season out of the last 17, losing to the Nets in the first round. 

    The 2006-07 season was one of the worst for the Pacers who would fire Carlisle as head coach and suffer injuries to key players. The 2007-08 season would mark the first time that Indiana didn’t make the playoffs in back to back seasons for the first time in 30 years. 

    Danny Granger and guard Mike Dunleavy would lead the Pacers in scoring the following two years and were able to eventually lead Indiana to the playoffs again in the 2010-11 season, with help of 2010 draft pick Paul George. Frank Vogel took over as head coach during the season and would guide the Pacers to the playoffs for four straight seasons. 

    In the 2011 off season, the Pacers acquired George Hill and David West to form a strong starting line up with Granger, George and Hibberd, who had emerged as a defensive force in the league. This team would land the Pacers the 3-seed in the East and make the second round of the playoffs for the first time since Reggie Miller’s retirement. Indiana faced LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the second round, falling 4-2, despite holding a 2-1. 

    Granger would be plagued by injuries and eventually traded by the team, with Paul George claiming leadership of the team and becoming an All Star. Despite the Pacers winning ways, George’s emergence as an All Star and Hibberd’s defensive prowess and All Star selection, Indiana would fall to the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals in both the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. 

    Paul George was playing in a game for Team USA in the 2014 offseason where he would fall and gruesomely break his leg and would miss the 2014-15 season, causing the Pacers to miss the playoffs for the first time with George on the roster and with Vogel as coach. 

    George would return for the 2015-16 season, helping Indiana reach the playoffs again, however they fell in the first round to the Toronto Raptors causing Bird to announce that Vogel would no longer coach the team.

    The Pacers would again make the playoffs in the 2016-17 season, but were swept by LeBron James and the Cavaliers. That offseason George was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. Oladipo would be Indiana’s lead man and would go on to win 2018 Most Improved Player and be selected to the 2019 All Star Game. 

    The Pacers have made the playoffs for three straight years following George’s departure. The team finished fourth in the Eastern Conference this season after acquiring Malcom Brogdon, TJ Warren and Jeremy Lamb to help Oladipo, Sabonis and Myles Turner, their 2015 first round draft pick. 

    Indiana suffered a disappointing sweep to eventual Eastern Conference Champions, the Miami Heat, in the first round of the playoffs and are now figuring out how they can improve when many teams around them in the East are.

    With TJ Warren sidelined for the most part of the 2020-21 season, the Pacers were already down a starter and it showed with their play. The bright spot was that Sabonis arrived as a genuine star in the league but had little help, resulting in their ninth place finish.

    Turner went down with injury and the Pacers traded Oladipo for Caris LeVert, who missed most of the season after being acquired due to a heart condition found in his medical. In the games he did play, he was excellent, showing good chemistry with both Sabonis and Brogdon, which will be invaluable for them in years to come.

    The 2021-22 season was a rough one for the Indiana Pacers. They finished with one of the worst records in the league as they only won 23 games. They ended up finishing in 13th place in the Eastern Conference.

    Expert 2022-23 Picks & Preview on Indiana Pacers

    If you are a fan of the Indiana Pacers, then you know that the only thing that matters right now is how they are expected to perform in the 2022-23 season. Do the Indiana Pacers have the star power to make it all the way to the playoffs and win The Finals in 2023?

    Have a read on below at SportsTips expert picks & preview on the Indiana Pacers:

    Front Office

    Rick Carlisle is the head coach of the Indiana Pacers, and this upcoming 2022-23 National Basketball Association season will be his second season back in charge of the franchise. He has spent the majority of his coaching career with the Dallas Mavericks and even won a championship in 2011 with Dallas. This will be his third NBA coaching job and his second stint as the head coach of the Indiana Pacers. He has been coaching in the league for 21 years overall and over the course of his coaching career he has qualified to the playoffs 14 times. His overall record in the regular season currently sits at 861-746. While his overall playoff record is currently sitting at 63-70. 

    Chad Buchanan is the general manager of the Indiana Pacers and he has held that position within the franchise since 2017. This upcoming 2022-23 National Basketball Association season will be his sixth season as the decision maker for the franchise. 

    Key Players

    Tyrese Haliburton is the best player on this team’s roster and he is sure to make a huge impact during the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. This upcoming season will be his third season in the National Basketball Association and his first full season with the Indiana Pacers. Last season after coming to the Pacers, he put up some impressive numbers as he averaged around 18 points per game. He set up his teammates as well as he averaged around 10 assists per game. He also managed to do some work on the boards as he averaged around four rebounds per game. 

    The second key player on this roster is Buddy Hield and this upcoming season will be his seventh season in the National Basketball Association and his first full season with the Indiana Pacers. Last season after coming to the Pacers, he put up some impressive numbers as he averaged around 18 points per game. He set up his teammates as well as he also averaged around five assists per game. He also managed to do some work on the boards as he averaged around five rebounds per game.

    Breakout Player

    Bennedict Mathurin will be the breakout player on this team’s roster and he is sure to make a huge impact during the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. He is a former sixth overall pick in the 2022 National Basketball Association Draft. This upcoming season will be his rookie season in the National Basketball Association after attending Arizona. Last season he put up some impressive numbers as he averaged around 18 points per game. 

    He set up his teammates as well as he averaged around three assists per game. He also managed to do some work on the boards as he averaged around six rebounds per game. He put in some work on the defensive end of the court as well, averaging around one steal per game and one block per game. His list of accolades is impressive as he is a former PAC-12 player of the year and second team all-American as well.

    Indiana Pacers Betting & Odds Preview 2022-23

    The Indiana Pacers campaign during the 2021-22 National Basketball Association season went about as you would’ve expected. They finished the year with a record of 25-57 and in fourth place of the Central Division. They are a young rebuilding team with plenty of talent and they should improve this season. 

    There is a lot of optimism surrounding the franchise heading into the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. If they want to improve or keep up their current level of play they will certainly need a ton of production from their stars over the course of the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. The most important thing in any season is how a team starts out of the gate, and then how they look when the all-star break approaches. 

    In the National Basketball Association, a lot can change over a single off-season. It will be interesting to see how their offseason moves translate onto the basketball court over the course of the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season. Based on their odds to win some hardware headed into the season it is clear how the oddsmakers in Las Vegas feel about them heading into the year. 

    Their odds to bring home the Central Division championship this season currently sit at +25000 heading into the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season, which puts them last in the Central Division out of five teams. 

    While their odds to win the Eastern Conference currently sit at +25000 heading into the 2022-23 National Basketball Association season, which puts them 14th in the Eastern Conference out of 15 teams. Their overall odds to bring home the championship are currently sitting at +50000 heading into the 2022-23 season, as they rank 25th out of all 30 teams in the National Basketball Association.

    Indiana Pacers FAQs

    Still got some burning questions about the Indiana Pacers? Well, we have answered some of the most common questions people have, hopefully you will find the answer you are looking for below! 

    Where do the Indiana Pacers play?

    The Indiana Pacers play their home games at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse. 

    Who owns the Indiana Pacers?

    Herbert Simon is the owner of the Indiana Pacers. 

    Have the Indiana Pacers won an NBA Championship?

    The Indiana Pacers have won 0 NBA championships, however have won 3 ABA Championships in 1970, 1972 and 1973. 

    Did the Indiana Pacers play in the ABA?

    The Indiana Pacers played in the ABA before it was absorbed by the NBA in 1976. The Pacers won 3 ABA Championships in 1970, 1972 and 1972, and was one of four teams to survive the merger along with the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and New York Nets. 

    Who is the Indiana Pacers coach?

    Rick Carlisle is the head coach of the Indiana Pacers. Carlisle, who was an assistant coach of Indiana from 1997-2000, was hired in the 2021 offseason after he parted ways with the Mavericks.  

    Do the Indiana Pacers play tonight?

    Are you wondering if the Indiana Pacers are playing tonight? Well, SportsTips has all the details you need about upcoming Indiana Pacers games! Make sure you check this page at the top for all the details you are looking for.

    What is the Indiana Pacers record?

    The Indiana Pacers had a 25-57 win-loss record for the 2021-22 NBA season.

    Did the Indiana Pacers win last night?

    Fans of the Indiana Pacers are all wanting to know if they won the game last night. You can find more information in relation to the team’s recent form in games on the page at the top.

    How much are the Indiana Pacers worth?

    According to Forbes Magazine, the Indiana Pacers are worth $1.67 billion.

    Who do the Indiana Pacers play tonight?

    Like a lot of things in the NBA, things change pretty quickly. So, if you are looking for more information about who the Indiana Pacers play tonight, you have come to the right place. We have all this information for you in detail, you can find these details for upcoming games at the top of the page.

    How to watch the Indiana Pacers?

    You can watch the Indiana Pacers on TV channels like ESPN, ABC, TNT, NBA TV or Fox Sports Indiana, or subscribe to NBA League Pass. 

    Will the Indiana Pacers make the playoffs this year?

    The Indiana Pacers did not make the playoffs for the 2021-22 NBA season. They finished 13th in the East.  

    When do the Indiana Pacers play?

    Indiana Pacers fans are always looking for more information about when their team plays the next game. For all the information you have been craving and more, be sure to check the top of this page. Here at SportsTips we list all the information you need like the tip off time, location of the game and the all important NBA odds.

    Where did the Indiana Pacers finish the season?

    The Indiana Pacers finished the 2021-22 NBA season 13th in the Eastern Conference. 

    How many games did the Indiana Pacers win?

    The Indiana Pacers won 25 games during the 2021-22 NBA season.