The Pacers have won three championships, in1970,1972, and1973, all in the ABA. They also reached theABA Finals in1969 and1975, and have also appeared in theNBA Finals in2000 and2025. The team has also won nine division titles.
Early in the Pacers' second season, formerIndiana Hoosiers standoutBob "Slick" Leonard became the team's head coach, replacingLarry Staverman. Leonard quickly turned the Pacers into a juggernaut. His teams were buoyed by the great play of superstars such asMel Daniels,George McGinnis,Bob Netolicky,Rick Mount,Freddie Lewis andRoger Brown. The Pacers were the most successful team in ABA history, winning three ABA Championships in four years. In all, they appeared in the ABA Finals five times in the league's nine-year history, which was an ABA record.[13]
The league charged a $3.2 million entry fee for each former ABA team.[14] Since the NBA would only agree to accept four ABA teams in the merger, the surviving ABA teams also had to compensate the two remaining ABA franchises which were not a part of the merger, theSpirits of St. Louis andKentucky Colonels (a third ABA team, theVirginia Squires, would fold operations before the merger talks began). As a result of the merger, the four teams dealt with financial troubles. Additionally, the Pacers had some financial troubles, which dated back to their waning days in the ABA; they had begun selling off some of their star players in the last ABA season. The new NBA teams also were barred from sharing in national TV revenues for four years.[15]
The Pacers finished their inaugural NBA season with a record of 36–46.Billy Knight andDon Buse represented Indiana in theNBA All-Star Game. However, this was one of the few bright spots of the Pacers' first 13 years in the NBA. During this time, they had only two non-losing seasons and only two playoff appearances.
A lack of continuity became the norm for most of the next decade, as they traded away Knight and Buse before the1977–78 season even started. They acquiredAdrian Dantley in exchange for Knight, but Dantley (who was averaging nearly 27 points per game at the time) was traded in December, while the Pacers' second-leading scorer,John Williamson, was dealt in January.
The early Pacers came out on the short end of two of the most one-sided trades in NBA history. In 1980, they tradedAlex English to the Nuggets to reacquire former ABA starGeorge McGinnis. McGinnis was long past his prime and contributed very little during his two-year return. English, in contrast, went on to become one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. The next year, they traded a1984 draft pick to thePortland Trail Blazers for centerTom Owens, who had played for the Pacers during their last ABA season. Owens played one year for the Pacers with little impact and was out of the league altogether a year later. In1983–84, the Pacers finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference, which would have given the Pacers the second overall pick in the draft – the pick that the Blazers used to selectSam Bowie, whileMichael Jordan was still available. As a result of the Owens trade, they were left as bystanders in the midst of one of the deepest drafts in NBA history – including such future stars as Jordan,Hakeem Olajuwon,Sam Perkins,Charles Barkley, andJohn Stockton.
Clark Kellogg was drafted by the Pacers in the1982 and finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, but the Pacers finished the1982–83 season with their all-time worst record of 20–62 and won only 26 games thefollowing season. After winning 22 games in1984–85 and 26 games in1985–86,Jack Ramsay replacedGeorge Irvine as coach and led the Pacers to a 41–41 record in1986–87 and their second playoff appearance as an NBA team.Chuck Person, nicknamed "The Rifleman" for his renowned long-range shooting, led the team in scoring as a rookie and won NBA Rookie of the Year honors. Their first playoff win in NBA franchise history was earned in game 3 of their first-round, best-of-five series against theAtlanta Hawks, but it was their only victory in that series, as the Hawks defeated them in four games.
From 1989 to 1993, the Pacers would play at or near .500 and qualify for the playoffs; in1989–90, the Pacers parlayed a fast start into the team's third playoff appearance under coachBob Hill. But the Pacers were swept by theDetroit Pistons, who would go on to win their second consecutiveNBA championship. Reggie Miller became the first Pacer to play in theAll-Star Game since 1976 on the strength of his 24.6 points-per-game average. Despite four straight first-round exits, this period was highlighted by a first-round series with theBoston Celtics in the1991 playoffs that went to game 5. The next season, the Pacers returned to the playoffs in1992 and met the Boston Celtics for the second year in a row. This time, the Celtics swept the Pacers in three games. Chuck Person and point guardMicheal Williams were traded to theMinnesota Timberwolves in the off-season, and the Pacers gotPooh Richardson andSam Mitchell in return. For the1992–93 season, Detlef Schrempf moved from sixth man to the starter atsmall forward and was elected to his first All-Star game. Meanwhile, Miller became the Pacers' all-time NBA era leading scorer during this season (fourth overall). The Pacers returned to theplayoffs with a 41–41 record, but lost to theNew York Knicks in the first round, three games to one.
With the 1994Eastern Conference finals tied going into game 5 in New York, and the Pacers trailing the Knicks by 15 points early in the fourth quarter,Reggie Miller scored 25 points, which included five 3-point field goals. Miller also flashed the choke sign to the Knicks' celebrity fan,Spike Lee, while leading the Pacers to the come from behind victory.[17] The Knicks ultimately came back to win the next two games and the series.[18] Miller was a tri-captain and leading scorer of the USA Basketball team that won the gold medal at the1994 FIBA World Championship.[19]
Mark Jackson joined the team in an off-season trade with theLos Angeles Clippers, giving the team a steady hand at the point guard position that had been lacking in recent years. The Pacers enjoyed a 52–30 campaign in1994–95, giving them their first Central Division title and first 50+ win season since the ABA days. The team swept the Hawks in the first round of the1995 NBA playoffs, before another meeting with the rival Knicks in the conference semifinals. This time, with the Pacers down six points with 16.4 seconds remaining in game 1, Miller scored eight points in 8.9 seconds to help secure a two-point victory.[20] The Pacers beat the Knicks in seven games. They pushed theOrlando Magic to seven games before falling in the Eastern Conference finals.[21]
The Pacers duplicated their 52–30 record in1995–96, but were hurt severely by an injury to Reggie Miller's eye socket in April, from which he was not able to return until game 5 of their first-round series against the Hawks. Miller scored 29 points in that game, but the Hawks came away with a two-point victory to put an early end to Indiana's season. This1995–96 Pacers did manage to go down in history as the only team to defeat theChicago Bulls twice that year, a Bulls team which made history with a then all-time best 72–10 record. The Pacers could not withstand several key injuries in1996–97, nor could they handle the absence of Mark Jackson, who had been traded to theDenver Nuggets before the season (though they did re-acquire Jackson at the trading deadline). The Pacers finished 39–43 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1989, after which coachLarry Brown stepped down.
In the1997–98 NBA season, Indiana native and formerBoston Celtics greatLarry Bird was hired as head coach. He led the Pacers to a 19-game improvement over the previous season, finishing 58–24 at the time, the most the franchise had ever won as an NBA team, and tying the 1970–71 ABA Pacers for the franchise record.
Chris Mullin joined the team in the off-season and immediately became a valuable part of the Pacers lineup as the starting small forward. Assistant coachesRick Carlisle, in charge of the offense, andDick Harter, who coached the defense, were key in getting the most out of the Pacers' role players such asDale Davis,Derrick McKey, and a youngAntonio Davis. Miller andRik Smits both made the All-Star team that year, andin the playoffs, the Pacers breezed past theCleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks before falling to the Chicago Bulls in a seven-gameEastern Conference finals.
Prior to the1999–2000 NBA season, the Pacers traded forwardAntonio Davis to theToronto Raptors in exchange for first-round draft choiceJonathan Bender. In the2000 NBA playoffs, after a 56–26 regular season, the Pacers survived the upset-mindedMilwaukee Bucks in the first round, handled thePhiladelphia 76ers in the second round and finally broke through to theNBA Finals by virtue of a six-game conference finals victory over the New York Knicks. Their first NBA Finals appearance was against theLos Angeles Lakers, who ended Indiana's championship hopes in six games. However, the Pacers dealt Los Angeles their worst playoff defeat up to that time by a margin of 33 points in game five.[22]
The off-season brought sweeping changes to the Pacers' lineup, as Rik Smits and coach Larry Bird retired, Chris Mullin returned to theGolden State Warriors, Mark Jackson signed a long-term contract withToronto, and Dale Davis was traded toPortland forJermaine O'Neal,[23] who went on to average 12.9 points per game in his first year as a starter. It was a rebuilding year for the Pacers under the new head coachIsiah Thomas. However, the team still managed to return to theplayoffs, where they lost to the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in four games.[24]
In the midseason of2001–02, the Pacers made a blockbuster trade with theChicago Bulls that sentJalen Rose andTravis Best to Chicago in exchange forBrad Miller,Ron Artest,Kevin Ollie andRon Mercer.[25] In the next few years, Miller and Artest would go on to be All-Stars for the Pacers. The trade bolstered a team that had been floundering, and the Pacers managed toreturn to the playoffs, where they pushed the top-seededNew Jersey Nets to five games before losing game 5 in double overtime.[26]Jermaine O'Neal made his first of what would be several All-Star appearances in his Pacers career.
The Pacers got off to a 13–2 start in2002–03 but hit the wall after the All-Star break thanks in no small part to Ron Artest's multiple suspensions and family tragedies befalling Jermaine O'Neal,Jamaal Tinsley andAustin Croshere. O'Neal and Brad Miller both made the All-Star team, and the Pacers made a substantial improvement as they finished 48–34, but they suffered a loss to the underdog Boston Celtics in the first round of theplayoffs.[27]
In the 2003 off-season, the Pacers managed to re-sign O'Neal for the NBA maximum and inked Reggie Miller to a modest two-year deal, but they could not afford to keep their talented center, Brad Miller. He was dealt to theSacramento Kings in exchange forScot Pollard,[28] who spent much of the following year watching from the bench and backing upJeff Foster. The Pacers also signed Larry Bird as team president, and Bird wasted little time in dismissing coach Isiah Thomas and replacing him withRick Carlisle.[29]
The Pacers responded to Carlisle extremely well and had a breakthrough2003–04 season in which they finished 61–21, earning the best record in the NBA as well as a franchise record. O'Neal and Artest made theAll-Star team, and Artest was named theNBA's Defensive Player of the Year; the Pacers swept the Boston Celtics in thefirst round and squeezed by theMiami Heat in the conference semifinals. But the Detroit Pistons proved an impediment to Indiana's championship aspirations, as they defeated the Pacers in six games on their way to theNBA Championship.[30][31]
Al Harrington, a small forward who had established himself as one of the best sixth-men in the NBA, was dealt in the off-season to theAtlanta Hawks in return forStephen Jackson after Harrington allegedly demanded that the Pacers start him or trade him.[32] Nevertheless, the Pacers started the2004–05 season strongly until a November 19, 2004 game. Toward the end of a Pacers victory over the Detroit Pistons atThe Palace of Auburn Hills, the Pacers'Ron Artest committed a hard foul againstBen Wallace. Wallace retaliated with a hard push, threw a towel at Artest, and the situation escalated to afull-scale brawl, with fans and several Pacers taking part. While Artest lay atop the scorer's table trying to calm down and do an interview, Pistons fan John Green (who was sitting next to Wallace's brother) threw a cup ofDiet Coke at Artest, causing him to charge into the stands.Stephen Jackson followed him into the stands whileJermaine O'Neal struck a fan who came onto the court. The game was called off with 45.9 seconds left on the clock, and the Pacers left the floor amid a shower of beer and other beverages that rained down from the stands.[33]
Several of the involved players were suspended by NBA CommissionerDavid Stern. Artest was suspended for the rest of the regular season and playoffs, a total of 73 games – the longest suspension for an on-court incident in NBA history. Other suspensions included Jackson (suspended for 30 games), O'Neal (25 games), Wallace (6 games), and the Pacers'Anthony Johnson (5 games) (O'Neal's suspension was later reduced to 15 games by arbitrator Roger Kaplan, a decision that was upheld by U. S. District Judge George B. Daniels). O'Neal was charged with two counts of assault and battery, while Artest, Jackson, Johnson, andDavid Harrison were charged with one count each.[34]
After the brawl and suspensions that followed, the Pacers fell into the Central Division. They went from a legitimate title contender to a team that hovered around .500 in winning percentage. The Pistons eventually became the Central Division champions. Despite the difficulties with the suspensions and injuries, the Pacers earned a sixth seed in the playoffs with a record of 44–38. An important reason for their strong finish was the re-acquisition ofDale Davis, who had been released by theNew Orleans Hornets after being traded there by theGolden State Warriors. He played the final 25 games of the regular season and every playoff game, contributing a strong presence at center. And Davis' signing coincided with an injury toJermaine O'Neal that would knock him out for virtually the remainder of the regular season.
Despite the adversity they had gone through, the Pacers made theplayoffs for the 13th time in 14 years. In the first round, Indiana defeated the Atlantic Division champion Boston Celtics, winning game 7 in Boston with a score of 97–70, just the third time the Celtics had dropped a game 7 at home.[35] The Pacers then advanced to the second round against the Detroit Pistons, in a rematch of the previous year's Eastern Conference finals. The series featured games back atThe Palace of Auburn Hills, the scene of the brawl that many assumed at the time had effectively ended the Pacers' season. After losing game 1, the Pacers won the next two games to take a 2–1 lead. However, the Pacers could not repeat their victories against the Pistons and lost the next three games, losing the series 4–2. The final game (game 6) was on May 19, 2005;Reggie Miller, in his final NBA game, scored 27 points and received a standing ovation from the crowd. Despite Miller's effort, the Pacers lost, sending Miller into retirement without anNBA Championship in his 18-year career, all with the Pacers.[36] Miller had his No. 31 jersey retired by the Pacers on March 30, 2006, when the Pacers played thePhoenix Suns.[37]
Danny Granger led the team in scoring for five consecutive seasons
The team went on to draftDanny Granger 17th overall in the2005 NBA draft. During the2005–06 season, the Pacers tradedRon Artest to theSacramento Kings in exchange forPeja Stojaković. Despite the loss of Reggie Miller, the Artest saga, and many key injuries, the Pacersmade the playoffs in 2006 for the 14th time in 15 years. They also were the only road team to win game 1 of a first-round playoff series. However, New Jersey won game 2 to tie the series at 1–1, heading back to Indiana. In game 3,Jermaine O'Neal scored 37 points, as the Pacers regained a 2–1 series lead. The Nets, however, won games four and five to take a 3–2 series lead. In game 6,Anthony Johnson scored 40 points, but the Pacers' season came to an end as the Nets won 96–90.[38]
The Pacers finished the2006–07 season as one of the worst seasons in team history. The turning point of the season would be an 11-game losing streak that started around the all-star break. Injuries to Jermaine O'Neal and Marquis Daniels, a lack of a solid backup point guard, the blockbuster trade midway through the season that interrupted the team chemistry, poor defensive efforts, and being the NBA's worst offensive team were the main reasons leading to the team's struggles. The April 15 loss toNew Jersey Nets knocked the Pacers out of theplayoffs for the first time since the 1996–97 season.[39]
2007–2010: O'Neal's final season and rebuilding years
On April 10, 2007, the Pacers announced that coachRick Carlisle had been fired, with the Pacers' first losing record in ten seasons being the main reason for the coach's dismissal.[40] Pacers President Larry Bird noted that Carlisle had the opportunity to return to the Pacers franchise in another role. Later, Carlisle opted to leave and took a broadcasting job withESPN before returning to coach theDallas Mavericks in 2008 (where he would win a championship in 2011).[41] On May 31, 2007,Jim O'Brien was named Carlisle's successor.[42] O'Brien made it clear that he intended to take the Pacers back to the playoffs in the 2007–08 season, but he did not in his tenure. He also made it known that he favored a more up-tempo, fast-paced style as opposed to Carlisle's slower, more meticulous style of coaching. Many people have taken note that this style, while exciting at times, failed to produce a winning record, and O'Brien's inability to change his style to better suit his talent available has hurt the team.
Despite missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1980s, the2007–08 season displayed many signs of growth in the team, especially towards the end of the season. Off-court legal distraction fromJamaal Tinsley,Marquis Daniels, andShawne Williams in the middle of the season did not help the Pacers struggles, and injuries to Tinsley and Jermaine O'Neal damaged the Pacers' already weak defense and left almost all point guard duties to recently acquired Travis Diener, who saw minimal minutes on his previous NBA teams. Despite this, and a 36–46 record, the Pacers had a very strong finish to the season, which included a desperate attempt to steal the eighth seed from the Atlanta Hawks, and dramatic improvement in forwardsDanny Granger andMike Dunleavy. Both Granger and Dunleavy were involved in the voting forMost Improved Player, with Dunleavy finishing in the top 10.[43] The two were also the first Pacers players to score 1500 points each in a single season since Reggie Miller and Detlef Schrempf did it in the early 1990s.[44]
In April of the 2007–08 season,Donnie Walsh, Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO & President, left the Indiana Pacers to join theNew York Knicks.[45] All of Walsh's basketball-related duties were given to Pacers' President of Basketball OperationsLarry Bird. Walsh's business-related roles were given to co-ownerHerb Simon and Jim Morris, who was promoted to President of Pacers Sports & Entertainment.
During the2009–10 season, Pacers forwardTyler Hansbrough (drafted in 2009) suffered a season-ending ear injury, and without centerJeff Foster, the Pacers again fell into another season under .500 and missed the playoffs for four years in a row. Despite another disappointing season, the Pacers managed to sweep the waningDetroit Pistons for the first time in five years,[46] and the abysmalNew Jersey Nets.[47] The team showed signs of life near the end of the season, winning nearly all of their last 14 games.
In May 2010, after completing his rookie season, guardA. J. Price suffered a knee injury during a charity pick-up game that would require surgery. His expected rehabilitation was to last between four and six months, to be back just in time for training camp.[48]
2010–2012: The arrival of Paul George and Danny Granger's final years
In the2010 NBA draft, the Pacers selected forward/guardPaul George with the 10th overall pick.[49] In the second round, they drafted guardLance Stephenson, as well as forwardRyan Reid.[50] The draft rights to Reid were traded on draft night to theOklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the rights to forward/centerMagnum Rolle.[51][52] The Pacers signed George to his rookie contract on July 1, 2010. Stephenson signed a multi-year contract with the team on July 22. Just before training camp, Rolle was signed, along with big manLance Allred. Both were cut before the regular season began.[53][54]
In the2010–11 season, the team went 2–3 in the first five games. On November 9, in a home game against Denver, the team scored 54 points in the third quarter alone, shooting 20–21 in the process, on the way to a 144–113 rout of the Nuggets. Led by Mike Dunleavy's 24 points in the period, the team set a franchise record for most points in a quarter and was only four points short of the all-time NBA record for points in a quarter (58) set in the 1970s.[56]
Frank Vogel was the Pacers' head coach from 2011 to 2016
On January 30, 2011, the Pacers relievedJim O'Brien of his coaching duties and named assistant coachFrank Vogel interim head coach.[57]
With a victory over theWashington Wizards on April 6, 2011, the Pacersclinched their first playoff berth since 2006.[58] In the first round, they were defeated by the first seed Chicago Bulls in five games. Despite a lopsided comparison in terms of the two teams' win-loss records, three of the four Pacers' losses were close, losing games 1–3 by an average of five points.[59]
The Pacers named Vogel their permanent head coach on July 7, 2011.[60] They acquiredGeorge Hill from theSan Antonio Spurs ondraft night.[61] After the lockout, and losingMike Dunleavy Jr. to free agency, the Pacers signed former two-time All-Star power forwardDavid West to a two-year deal.[62] These new players contributed to the Pacers' record of 21–12 at the All-Star break. The Pacers acquired another key piece inLeandro Barbosa from theToronto Raptors at the trade deadline, mid-season.[63]
At the end of the2011–12 season, the team, led in scoring byDanny Granger, clinched the playoffs as the third seed in the Eastern Conference. They finished with a 42–24 record, their best record since their 2003–04 season. On May 8, 2012, the Pacers defeated theOrlando Magic 105–87 to win their first playoff series since 2005 and would go on to play theMiami Heat in theEastern Conference semifinals.[64] On May 15, 2012, they defeated Miami to tie the second-round series at 1–1. On May 17, they again beat Miami 94–75 to take the series lead 2–1. However, despite a hard-fought series between the two, the Heat won game 6 to close the series at 4–2.[65]
The following season, Granger was sidelined by a knee injury and managed only to play five games. Granger made his return during the2013–14 season; however, he failed to regain his form of the previous seasons. Granger was then traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for wingEvan Turner and forwardLavoy Allen in a swap that took place approximately 30 minutes before the trade deadline.[66]
On June 26, 2012, general managerDavid Morway officially resigned.[67] The following day, president of basketball operations,Larry Bird stepped down. Bird and Morway were officially replaced byDonnie Walsh andKevin Pritchard, respectively.[68] Walsh returned to the organization after spending the previous three seasons in the Knicks' front office. Pritchard was promoted by the Pacers after serving as the team's director of player personnel. In the2012 NBA draft, the Pacers selectedMiles Plumlee with the 26th pick and acquiredOrlando Johnson, the 36th pick from theSacramento Kings.[69] The team also acquired key bench playersIan Mahinmi,Gerald Green, andD. J. Augustin.
On April 7, 2013, the Pacers clinched their first Central Division championship since the 2003–04 season. They finished the2012–13 season with a 49–32 record, the third seed in the Eastern Conference, and beat theAtlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. The Pacers then beat theNew York Knicks in six games to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2004 to face the defending champs, theMiami Heat.[70] The Pacers lost game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 22, 2013, in overtime 103–102.[71] On May 24, 2013, in game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Pacers were victorious by a score of 97–93. The game was clinched for Indiana after David West deflected a pass fromLeBron James. The team headed home to Indianapolis, where they had been a perfect 6–0 in the playoffs. The Heat won game 3 in Indianapolis on May 26, 2013, with contributions from role playersUdonis Haslem andChris Andersen, and won 114–96.[72] The Pacers bounced back in game 4 with a strong contribution from Lance Stephenson and won 99–92. The Pacers lost game 5 in Miami on May 30 but won game 6 at home on June 1, extending the series to game 7. The Pacers were defeated by Miami 99–76.[73]
One year after stepping down,Larry Bird returned as president of basketball operations.Donnie Walsh, who was brought back to hold the position for Bird, was named a consultant for the Pacers.[74] In the2013 NBA draft, the Pacers selectedSolomon Hill with the 23rd overall pick.[75] During the 2013 off-season, the Pacers made strengthening their bench a priority, resulting in the acquisitions of point guardC. J. Watson, and forwardsChris Copeland andLuis Scola, the latter being acquired via trade with thePhoenix Suns.[76]
The2013–14 season saw the Pacers jump to an explosive first half of a season, as they started the season 33–7 thanks to the rise of Paul George and Lance Stephenson. On January 14, 2014, Vogel was named the Eastern Conference head coach for2014 NBA All-Star Game.[77] Paul George and Roy Hibbert were selected for the All-Star Game.[78] The Pacers signed two-time NBA champion and2012 All-StarAndrew Bynum for the remainder of the season. However, after the All-Star Break, the Pacers collapsed. After starting the season 40–11, the Pacers crashed and stumbled to a 16–15 finish, with rumors of fighting in the locker room being a potential cause for the meltdown. Regardless, they managed to hold onto their first seed in the East, finished the season with a 56–26 record.[79]
The Pacers started off the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks, defeating them in seven games.[80] The Pacers then defeated Washington in six games in the semifinals,[81] then a rematch with the second-seeded and defending champion Miami in the Eastern Conference finals. The Pacers surprised many critics, taking game 1 in the Eastern Conference finals with a score of 107–95. Unfortunately for the Pacers, they ended up losing the next three to the Heat before managing to avoid elimination in game 5 with a close win over the Heat. The game was notable for the infamous incident where Lance Stephenson blew into LeBron James' ear.[82] Despite the win, the Pacers were eliminated in game 6 by the Miami Heat for the third straight year.[83]
On August 1, 2014, Paul George, who was playing in a Team USA scrimmage in preparation for the FIBA World Cup, suffered a catastrophic open fracture to his right leg (tibia and fibula) while trying to defendJames Harden on a fast break. As he tried to defend Harden from advancing to the rim, George's leg caught on the stanchion of the hoop and fractured.[84] He was stretchered off of the court. A day later, George successfully underwent surgery. He was expected to miss the entire2014–15 season.[85] On April 5, 2015, Paul George returned from his injury to play in a game against theMiami Heat. George shot 5-of-12 from the field and tallied two steals, two rebounds, and two assists in a winning effort. He played for fifteen minutes.[86] After failing to reach the2015 NBA Playoffs, the team departed with core playersRoy Hibbert,David West, andLuis Scola. In the2015 NBA draft, the Pacers selectedMyles Turner 11th overall.
During the off-season, the Pacers signed starMonta Ellis as well as role playerJordan Hill, while acquiringTy Lawson during the season. Paul George fully recovered from his injury and made the2016 NBA All-Star Game as a starter. The Pacers would go on to lose game 7 in the first round against theToronto Raptors ending their2015–16 season. Despite the Pacers going 45–37 and making the playoffs,[87] on May 5, 2016, Pacers' presidentLarry Bird announced that head coachFrank Vogel's contract would not be renewed, citing a need for "a new voice" to lead the players.[88][89] Later that month formerSeattle SuperSonics andPortland Trail Blazers head coachNate McMillan was promoted to replace Vogel.[90]
The team made several off-season moves, acquiring new startersJeff Teague andThaddeus Young, as well as key bench playersAl Jefferson andAaron Brooks. During the season, the Pacers waivedRodney Stuckey in order to sign former fan-favoriteLance Stephenson. The Pacers qualified to play in the 2017NBA Playoffs with a 42–40 record, which earned them the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. However, they were given a quick exit by thedefending champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who swept them in four games.[91]
On June 30, 2017,Paul George was traded to theOklahoma City Thunder forVictor Oladipo andDomantas Sabonis.[92] The Pacers received heavy criticism for this trade, but it would eventually prove to be the best season of Oladipo's career, with him showing an increase in points, steals, assists, rebounds,free throw percentage,field goal percentage, andthree-point percentage, which resulted to winning theNBA Most Improved Player Award.[93] Sabonis also showed an increase in points, rebounds, and assists while leading the Pacers in rebounding during the2017–18 season. Oladipo would be selected as a2018 NBA All-Star reserve,[94] while Sabonis was selected to represent Team World in theRising Stars Challenge.[95] Oladipo ended the season leading the NBA in steals per game. The team welcomed back former PacerDarren Collison as well as newcomersBojan Bogdanović andCory Joseph. The Pacers ended the season with a 48–34 record, which earned them the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Their record was a six–game improvement from last season with Paul George. The Pacers faced theCleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the2018 NBA playoffs for the second year in a row. After taking a 2–1 series lead, the Pacers fell to the Cavaliers in seven games.[96]
The2018–19 season welcomed new playersTyreke Evans,Wesley Matthews, andDoug McDermott. Oladipo would be selected as an All-Star reserve again for the2019 game. However, while playing against the Toronto Raptors on January 23, 2019, he left the game with aruptured quad tendon, and he was ruled out for the rest of the season.[97][98] Regardless, the Pacers again finished the season going 48–34 and secured a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive time on March 22,[99] but were swept in the first round of the2019 playoffs by theBoston Celtics.[100]
After an active 2019 off-season, the Pacers fielded four new starters on opening night. Holdover Myles Turner was joined by reserve–turned–starter Domantas Sabonis, as well as new acquisitionsMalcolm Brogdon,T. J. Warren, andJeremy Lamb, who was slated to become a top reserve once all-star guard Victor Oladipo returned from injury.[101] The Pacers also signed reservesT. J. McConnell andJustin Holiday, withHoliday joining his younger brotherAaron Holiday on the team. The Pacers also saw three players with the name "T. J." take the court inMcConnell,Warren, andLeaf. in Following an 0–3 start to the season, the Pacers held a 26–15 record halfway through the season, ranking them fifth place in the Eastern Conference.Domantas Sabonis averaged a careerbest 18.5 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 5 assists a game. Subsequently, Sabonis was named anNBA All-Star for the first time in his career.[102] Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to a foot injury and would miss the postseason.[103]
Following thesuspension of the 2019–20 NBA season, the Pacers were one of the 22 teams invited to theNBA Bubble to participate in the final eight games of the regular season. The Pacers would finish the2019–20 regular season with a record of 45–28 and headed into the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. On August 12, 2020, the team announced that they had extended Nate McMillan's contract.[104] They then matched up with the fifth seeded Miami Heat where they would go on to lose the first-round series 4–0 which subsequently ended their2019–20 season.[105]
Following the loss to the Heat, the Pacers parted ways with head coach Nate McMillan, despite the recent extension.[106] On October 20, 2020, it was announced that former Toronto Raptors assistant coach,Nate Bjorkgren, had signed a multi-year deal to become the next head coach.[107] On January 16, 2021,Victor Oladipo was traded to theHouston Rockets as a part of a four-team deal that sentJames Harden to theBrooklyn Nets andCaris LeVert to Indiana.[108][109] Sabonis would go on to earn his secondNBA All-Star appearance during the2020–21 season. The team also signedOshae Brissett this year. The season would end in the 2021NBA play-in tournament in a loss to theWashington Wizards. After missing the2021 NBA Playoffs, and amid reported locker room tension, the Pacers fired Bjorkgren on June 9, 2021.[110]
On June 24, 2021, the Pacers announced that they had reached an agreement with formerDallas Mavericks coachRick Carlisle to become the next head coach following Bjorkgren's departure. Carlisle previously was an assistant coach for the Pacers from 1997 to 2000, and was also the head coach of the Pacers previously from 2003 to 2007.[111] The team also hired formerCharlotte Hornets assistant and Indiana-nativeRonald Nored as well as formerAtlanta Hawks head coachLloyd Pierce to serve as lead assistant to Carlisle.[112] The arrival of Carlisle also brought overJenny Boucek andMike Weinar, both formerly serving with theDallas Mavericks.[112] Boucek served as thefirst female assistant coach for the Pacers franchise. In the2021 NBA draft, the Pacers selectedChris Duarte with the 13th pick and traded up for the 22nd pick,Isaiah Jackson. Duarte was selected to the 2022NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
On July 6, 2023, during NBA free agency, Haliburton officially signed a max contract extension with the Pacers worth up to $260 million over five years.[127][128] It was also announced that Haliburton would represent theUnited States men's national team at the2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.[129] The same day, the team announced they had signedBruce Brown to a two-year, $45 million contract.[130]
During the 2023 off-season, the Pacers made several acquisitions including trading awayChris Duarte to theSacramento Kings in exchange for two future second-round picks.[131]Oshae Brissett left the Pacers to sign a contract with theBoston Celtics while the team decided against bringing back veteranGeorge Hill but later re-signedJames Johnson. In addition, the Pacers acquiredObi Toppin, the eighth overall pick in the2020 NBA draft, from theNew York Knicks in exchange for two future second-round picks.[132] On the Pacers, Toppin joinedJalen Smith,Tyrese Haliburton,Aaron Nesmith, and Jordan Nwora, all selected in the2020 NBA draft. The same off-season, the team announced they had lostRonald Nored to an assistant coaching position with theAtlanta Hawks, while simultaneously rehiring former Pacers assistant andChicago Bulls head coachJim Boylen to replace Nored, who had been previously serving as a Pacers consultant.[133] The team also hired former Pacer playerShayne Whittington as an assistant to Carlisle. In a surprising move, the Pacers brought backLarry Bird to serve as a consultant, returning to the franchise for the first time since July 2022.[134]
On January 17, 2024, it was reported that the Pacers acquired All-Star forwardPascal Siakam in a three-team deal with theToronto Raptors andNew Orleans Pelicans, where the Pacers gave upBruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and three future first-round picks for Siakam.[136] On January 25, 2024, Siakam earned his first win as a Pacer in a 134–122 victory against thePhiladelphia 76ers, also recording his first triple double of the season.[137] That same day, Haliburton was named anEastern Conference starting guard for the2024 NBA All-Star Game, which was played in Indianapolis. This marked his second consecutive All-Star selection and his first selection as a starter.[138]
Tyrese Haliburton was acquired in 2022 and is the centerpiece of the Pacers' offense.
The Pacers finished the regular season with a record of 47–35, securing the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.[139] In the first round they faced the third seedMilwaukee Bucks, who were without star playerGiannis Antetokounmpo due to injury. The Pacers won the series 4–2, with second starDamian Lillard also missing time for the Bucks.[140] In the conference semifinals, the Pacers faced the second seedNew York Knicks.[141] The Knicks had their own injury issues, with starting forwardJulius Randle and role-playerBojan Bogdanovic set to miss the series. The Knicks won game 1 after a series of controversial officiating decisions in the final minute, before also winning game 2, in which they lostOG Anunoby to injury. The Pacers responded by winning games 3 and 4 at home, before the teams traded home wins in games 5 and 6. The Pacers won the series with a historic offensive performance in game 7, winning the series 4–3.[142] They were then beaten by Boston.
On March 27, 2025, the Pacers defeated the Washington Wizards 162–109, breaking their NBA scoring record.[143]
The Pacers ended the2024–2025 season as the 4th seed winning 50 games and qualifying for the playoffs.[144] They faced the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and beat them in 5 games.[145] They entered the second round playing against the 1st seed Cleveland Cavaliers. They beat the Cavaliers in 5 games,[146] advancing to the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks. They won in 6 games[147] with Tyrese Halliburton hitting a game-tying 2-point shot in Game 1. After hitting the 2-pointer, Haliburton imitated Reggie Miller's iconic choke sign done in the 1994 Eastern conference finals, also against the Knicks.[148] The Pacers got to their2nd NBA finals in franchise history, where they faced the Oklahoma City Thunder. They lost in 7 games, forcing the first Game 7 in the finals since the2016 NBA Finals.[149]
TheIndiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum was home to the Pacers from 1967 to 1974. The Pacers were very successful in their tenure at the Coliseum, winning three ABA Championships. They captured the ABA titles in 1969–70, defeating theLos Angeles Stars in six games, in 1971–72, defeating theNew York Nets in six games, and in the 1972–73 season, defeating theKentucky Colonels in seven games. The team moved toMarket Square Arena in 1974. In 1976, the Pacers became a franchise in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) when the ABA merged with the NBA.[150]
Market Square Arena was home of the Indiana Pacers from 1974 to 1999. The first Pacers basketball game ever held in the arena was a preseason game against theMilwaukee Bucks; attendance was 16,929. The first regular-season ABA game in the arena was held on October 18, 1974, against theSan Antonio Spurs; the Pacers lost in double overtime, 129–121 in front of 7,473 fans. The 1974–75 season ended for the Pacers with the ABA Finals played in Market Square Arena andFreedom Hall against their archrivals, theKentucky Colonels. The Colonels defeated the Pacers in that championship series, winning the ABA title in five games. The 1975–76 Pacers won their final home ABA game in Market Square Arena with a 109–95 victory against the Colonels. (Kentucky won the next game by one point to win the series and advance, ending the Pacers' ABA tenure.) The Pacers continued to play in Market Square Arena after they joined the NBA, with their first game at the arena as an NBA team being a 129–122 overtime loss to theBoston Celtics on October 21, 1976.Michael Jordan's return to theChicago Bulls after his first retirement took place at Market Square Arena in a loss to the Pacers on March 19, 1995.[151] The final Pacers game to be played in Market Square Arena was a pre-season exhibition game against theUtah Jazz on October 23, 1999.[152]
Conseco, Bankers Life, and Gainbridge Fieldhouse (1999–present)
The Indiana Pacers play their home games atGainbridge Fieldhouse, which opened in 1999. Gainbridge Fieldhouse is located in downtownIndianapolis and is owned and operated by the Capital Improvement Board, City ofIndianapolis and its groundbreaking was on July 22, 1997, byEllerbe Becket Architects & Engineers. Originally known as Conseco Fieldhouse, the arena officially opened on November 6, 1999. The Fieldhouse is considered one of the best arenas in the NBA, being rated the best venue in the NBA according to the Sports Business Journal/Sports Business Daily Reader Survey.[153] The arena was renamed to Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 22, 2011, after a subsidiary company of Conseco. The arena adopted its current name on September 27, 2021, being sponsored by Indianapolis-based financial platform Gainbridge. It presently seats 18,165 for basketball games, down from the original 18,345 due to removal of bleacher seats at the south end in favor of adding a premium club area known as Legends. Gainbridge Fieldhouse is also the home of theIndiana Fever of theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA), who are also owned byHerb Simon via Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E).
The Indiana Pacers colors are (navy) blue, yellow (gold), cool gray and white.[6] The original team colors of blue and yellow, using a more medium shade of blue, came from theflag of Indiana.[154]
The Pacers wear blue and white uniforms with yellow trim. Their initial uniforms featured either the state or team name in block letters, with some changes in striping. The shorts initially featured contrasting side stripes with the team name written inside, before simplifying altogether. The "P" logo would debut on the white uniform in the 1970–71 season.[155]
Ahead of the 1971–72 season, the Pacers debuted their "double stripes" uniform, featuring said stripes running through the right side. The "P" logo then occupied the left leg. This uniform would be worn during two of their three ABA championship seasons. In 1974, the stripes were modified, and both the team and state name was changed to a script lettering design.[155]
The Pacers reverted to a simpler look reminiscent of their early ABA years upon moving to the NBA in 1976, this time extending the side stripes through the uniform. After one season, the white uniform was tweaked, incorporating the "P" logo to the "PACERS" wordmark. Slight changes were made in the early 1980s, with both the white and blue uniform incorporating the team logo on the left leg and changing the typeface on the state and team name. The white uniform was then replaced with a gold uniform in 1983, featuring the state name.[155]
In 1985, the Pacers radically changed their uniform, featuring a contrasting stripe on the chest and incorporating a "streaking bullet" stripe across the "PACERS" wordmark. Initially, the numbers were located on the left chest and right leg, but was changed the following year, with the numbers now centered and the team logo replacing the shorts number. This would be the first uniform that Reggie Miller wore upon joining the Pacers.[155]
Midway through the 1989–90 season, the Pacers introduced a new uniform that would debut the following season. Designed by track and field starFlorence Griffith Joyner, the uniform featured a darker navy blue and deeper yellow palette, and incorporated aHelvetica-like typeface with drop shadows. The contrasting side stripes on the right taper towards the top of the uniform. The logo itself removed the outstretched hand and added some lines towards the yellow basketball to signify motion. This look became synonymous with the Pacers' mid-1990s success, which included two Conference Finals appearances and a budding rivalry with the New York Knicks.[155][156]
The arrival of Larry Bird in 1997 brought a new look to the Pacers. Block letters returned as were the contrasting side stripes. For the first time, the uniform incorporated pinstripes, a design feature that was used by a few NBA teams during the 1990s. In the 1998–99 season, a yellow alternate uniform was added. All three uniforms used the state name on the chest. This design would be worn by the Pacers during their first NBA Finals appearance in 2000.[155]
On September 29, 2005, the Indiana Pacers unveiled then-new uniforms, coinciding with a new era following the retirement of Reggie Miller. This design eliminated the pinstripes and incorporated thinner stripes across the uniform. The team name returned on the white uniform, which also added bolder yellow accents on each side. Silver was also added to both the logo and uniforms. Updated typefaces were introduced, and an alternate roundel logo featuring the full team name in a yellow circle with navy blue and silver borders surrounding the "P" logo also debuted. The roundel logo would make its way to the uniforms.[157] A gold alternate uniform was added ahead of the 2008–09 season. The uniform would become synonymous with Paul George, as he wore this set throughout his Pacers career, including two Conference Finals appearances.[155]
On July 21, 2015, the Indiana Pacers, in collaboration withMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios, unveiled a new uniform based on the 1986 motion pictureHoosiers. The Pacers wore these maroon and gold "Hickory" (the name and colors of the fictional High School from the film) uniforms for several home games and a few select road contests during the2015–16 season. It is the first time amajor North American pro sports team wore a uniform based on a film.[158][159]
The Indiana Pacers unveiled new uniforms and logos to coincide with the NBA's uniform contract withNike on July 28, 2017. The roundel logo, which had been the alternate since 2005, was promoted to a "Global" logo. Initially, the white "Association", navy blue "Icon" and yellow "Statement" uniforms mirrored each other, with the full team name encircling the uniform number and subtle pinstripes added on each side.[4] However, ahead of the 2019–20 season, the Pacers released an updated "Statement" uniform, which was a nod to the FloJo design from 1990 to 1997. The right side incorporated subtle silver pinstripes as a nod to Indiana's farmlands, while the state name was emblazoned on the chest. This "Statement" uniform was worn during their second NBA Finals appearance in 2025.[160]
A fourth uniform set, the "City" uniform, was also part of Nike's contract with the NBA. The Pacers' first "City" uniform is in navy blue with subtle yellow racing flag stripes on the left side. A vertical orientation of the state name was emblazoned within the yellow stripe and yellow numbers were encircled in a nod toIndyCar racing history.[161] A white and navy blue version of the uniform served as its "City" uniform in the 2019–20 season.[162]
The 2018–19 "City" uniform was loosely based on the 1990s FloJos design and was also inspired by Indiana's racing history. It featured a gray base with an italicized "PACERS" wordmark in yellow trimmed in navy blue. A tapered navy blue stripe with yellow pinstripes was hugely inspired by a similar motif that defined the FloJo uniforms.[163] A white version served as its "Earned" uniform that season as a reward for making the NBA playoffs the previous year.[164]
For the Pacers' 2020–21 "City" uniform, they revived the original royal blue and yellow shade worn in their ABA years while incorporating pinstripes as a nod to the early 2000s teams.[165] This design with a yellow base and navy blue pinstripes was used as its "Earned" uniform that season.[166]
The following season, the Pacers wore a "mix-tape" version of the "City" uniform in commemoration of the NBA's 75th anniversary. The design featured subtle nods to the franchise's history, from the "streaking bullet" stripe of the late 1980s to the 1990s FloJos striping, as well as a reimagined version of the classic Pacers logo which merged the current gold ball with the outstretched arm of the original logo.[167] This design was reused in the 2025–26 season, but recolored to a white base and the original shades of royal blue and yellow.[168]
The "City" uniform in the 2022–23 season honored the team's current home of Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Black was featured heavily on the uniform, with the only blue elements seen on the top. Subtle yellow stripes separate the blue and black bases.[169]
The Pacers' "City" uniform in the 2023–24 season featured a black base with light blue and yellow accents, incorporating a graffiti-style "INDY" wordmark across the chest. This uniform was a nod to Indiana's art scene.[170] A white version was worn as their "City" uniform the following season.[171]
The Pacers and Pistons met for the first time in the1990 Playoffs; the Pistons swept the Pacers in three straight games on their way to theirsecond straight NBA championship. But the rivalry truly began in the 2000s, specifically during the2003–04 season. The Pacers finished with a league-best 61 wins and were led byJermaine O'Neal,Ron Artest, andReggie Miller, and coached byRick Carlisle. Carlisle had been fired by Detroit at the end of the previous season. Detroit was led byChauncey Billups,Ben Wallace,Rasheed Wallace,Tayshaun Prince, andRichard Hamilton, and coached by former Pacers head coachLarry Brown. Indiana won the first three matchups in the regular season, before being defeated by the Pistons in the final regular-season meeting at the Palace. That was also the first time the two met afterRasheed Wallace was traded to Detroit.
They met in the 2004 Eastern Conference finals. Indiana narrowly won game 1, thanks to some late heroics from Miller. Rasheed, unimpressed, stated "they will not win game 2" during an interview before the second game (locally known as the "Guaran-Sheed" victory). Late in game 2, Detroit held a two-point lead, Billups turned over the ball, and Miller appeared to have an uncontested lay-up that would have tied the game. However, before Miller could score, he was chased down by Prince, who leapt from behind and blocked the shot. Near the end of game 6, when Detroit held a slight lead, Artest committed a flagrant foul on Hamilton, which nearly caused tempers to boil over. Detroit won the series 4–2, and went on to win the NBA title.
On November 19, 2004, atThe Palace of Auburn Hills, what has become known as theMalice at the Palace took place. Nine players were suspended for varying lengths after a violent altercation in the stands.[172] Artest received the longest penalty: the remainder of the season.
That year teams split the four regular season meetings. They met in the Eastern Conference semifinals and split the first two games. The Pacers blew an 18-point lead, but still won game 3 inIndianapolis. However, just as he did a year earlier, Rasheed promised a win in game 4 saying, "When we return, we will be tied at two". The Pistons won games 4 and 5. The Pacers, knowing a loss would lead to Miller's retirement, fought hard, but fell to the Pistons 88–79.
The Knicks and Pacers would again meet in the2024 Eastern Conference semifinals. The Pacers were now led byAll-Star point guardTyrese Haliburton, joined byMyles Turner,Pascal Siakam,Aaron Nesmith andAndrew Nembhard in the starting lineup. The "Nova Knicks" in turn were led by their ownAll-Star point guard,Jalen Brunson, while other key players includedJulius Randle,OG Anunoby,Mitchell Robinson,Donte DiVincenzo andJosh Hart. Despite Randle missing the series due to injury, the Knicks jumped out to a series lead after winning game 1 at home, via a series of controversial officiating decisions in the final minute, before also winning game 2, in which they lost Anunoby to injury. The Pacers responded by winning games 3 and 4 at home, before the teams traded home wins in games 5 and 6. The Pacers won the series with a historic offensive performance in game 7, winning the series 4–3.[142]
A true rivalry with theMiami Heat was triggered in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the2012 NBA playoffs. During the series, both head coaches were fined for statements made relating to the officiating:Frank Vogel accused the Heat of flopping before the series started, whileErik Spoelstra took offense to what he perceived to be deliberate "head-hunting" of his players on the part of the Pacers. In 2012, Indiana took a 2–1 lead after Miami'sChris Bosh was sidelined with an abdominal strain. Powered byLeBron James andDwyane Wade, Miami won three straight games to take the series, 4–2 and later become2012 NBA Champions. The series was marked by several suspensions, flagrant fouls, and confrontations between the players:Tyler Hansbrough's flagrant foul on Dwyane Wade (which drew blood), Udonis Haslem's retaliatory flagrant foul on Hansborough (which led to Haslem's game 6 suspension), Wade colliding withDarren Collison in transition,Juwan Howard confrontingLance Stephenson over the latter's flashing of the choke sign to James, andDexter Pittman elbowing Stephenson in the neck (which led to his own three-game suspension). Indiana'sDanny Granger received technical fouls in three consecutive games for his confrontations with Heat players; he stripped James of his headband in game 2, while attempting to block a shot, pulled the back of James' jersey in game 3, while trying to stop a fast-break, and chest-bumped Wade in game 4 after the latter was fouled byRoy Hibbert.
The following season saw improvements for both teams, from Miami's acquisitions ofRay Allen andChris Andersen, to the emergence ofPaul George andLance Stephenson in the absence ofDanny Granger due to a season-ending injury. Notably, it was after the Heat lost to the Pacers that they compiled a 27-game winning streak; the last time the Heat lost two in a row in the year were the games against Indiana and Portland. During the waning minutes of game 6 in the conference semifinals between the Pacers and theNew York Knicks, the Pacers' fans were chanting "Beat The Heat" as their team beat their oldNew York rivals. True to form, the Heat and the Pacers met in the conference finals of the2013 NBA playoffs on May 22, 2013. Several instances of physicality became prominent in the series:Shane Battier received an offensive foul for throwing his knee at Hibbert's midsection; Hibbert claimed that it was intentional dirty play on the part of Battier. Andersen suffered a bloodied nose after colliding withDavid West.Ian Mahinmi received a retroactive flagrant foul for a grab of James' arm.Norris Cole latched a hand on West's groin area as he tried to slip through West. Wade received a retroactive flagrant foul for hitting Stephenson in the head, another incident that the Pacers, notably Paul George, felt was a dirty play. The Heat survived game 1 on a James game-winning layup, while the Pacers came back to tie the series at 1–1 after forcing James into two late fourth-quarter turnovers for game 2. In Game 3, the Heat set a team record for points in a postseason half with 70. It was the first time the Pacers had given up 70 points since 1992. Allen's single turnover was the least ever suffered by the Heat in a first half. Their five total turnovers is tied for the fewest in franchise history. The game 3 victory marked the first time that an NBA team had won five straight road games by double digits. The Heat won the series 4–3, with a 99–76 win in game 7, eventually becoming2013 NBA champions.[175]
In2023, the last players active on either team wasUdonis Haslem on the Heat andGeorge Hill on the Pacers, who both competed in all three2012,2013, and2014 playoff series.
While the franchises have been divisional rivals since1976 (originally as part of theMidwest Division, though both have since moved to theCentral Division), it is only in recent years that the matchup has been described as a true rivalry.[176][177] On December 7, 2023, the two teams met inLas Vegas, Nevada during the semifinals ofthat season's inauguralIn-Season Tournament. While the Bucks led for most of the game, the Pacers staged a comeback in the fourth quarter, culminating inTyrese Haliburton hitting a game-winning stepback 3-pointer over BuckscenterBrook Lopez. Haliburton then tapped his wrist, mimicking BucksguardDamian Lillard's iconic "Dame Time" celebration. The loss resulted inBobby Portis later calling out former Bucks coachAdrian Griffin in the locker room, as well as his other teammates.[178]
Almost a week later, on December 13, the teams met atFiserv Forum in Milwaukee, wherein Bucks franchise superstarGiannis Antetokounmpo scored a career-high 64 points. In the same game, Pacers rookieOscar Tshiebwe scored his first career points, resulting in both teams wanting the official game ball to give to their players. At the end of the game, both teams had a basketball, but confusion arose towards who had the game ball; believing that the Pacers had it, multiple Bucks players entered the Pacers' tunnel to retrieve it, leading to a verbal altercation between Antetokounmpo and Haliburton. Footage later showed a member of Bucks' security receiving a ball from the officials towards the end of the game, however it is not known if it was the game ball or an alternate, with Antetokounmpo later stating he did not believe it to be the game ball. Pacers coachRick Carlisle also alleged a member of the Bucks of elbowing general managerChad Buchanan in the ribs, though this was not confirmed and multiple Bucks players chose not to comment on it.[179]
The two teams met again in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, featuring an almost identical core from the Pacers, whereas the Bucks had traded Middleton forKyle Kuzma at the trade deadline and addedGary Trent Jr. in free agency. The Pacers had earned the 4th-seed and home-court advantage after going 50–32 in theregular season, whereas the Bucks owned the 5th-seed with a 48–34 record. While Antetokoumpo was healthy and played every game of the series, Lillard missed game 1, playing in games 2, 3, and 4 before tearing hisachilles tendon in the latter game, ending his season. The Pacers would win the series 4–1 in game 5, following a comeback win from the Pacers and a game-winning basket from Tyrese Haliburton. When the game concluded, Antetokounmpo was involved in a scuffle with Benedict Mathurin, and later a verbal altercation with Haliburton's father, John. John Haliburton would later be barred from attending Pacers games for most of their playoff run. The Pacers would go on to make it to that year'sNBA Finals, but lost theOklahoma City Thunder in 7 games, wherein Tyrese Haliburton would tear his achilles tendon in the final game of the series. That offseason began with a shocking move where Pacers center Myles Turner, who was the team's longest tenured player (having been with the team since2015) signed with the Bucks, who had lost veteran centerBrook Lopez to theLos Angeles Clippers in free agency. Pacers executives later stated they had been willing to enter the luxury tax to keep Turner, but had not had the chance to match Milwaukee's offer.[180]
The Pacers hold the draft rights to the following unsigned draft picks who have been playing outside the NBA. A drafted player, either an international draftee or a college draftee who is not signed by the team that drafted him, is allowed to sign with any non-NBA teams. In this case, the team retains the player's draft rights in the NBA until one year after the player's contract with the non-NBA team ends.[181] This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams.
There have been 13 head coaches for the Pacers franchise.Larry Staverman was the first coach of the team in 1967, when the team was in the ABA. CoachBobby Leonard has the most wins in franchise history, with 529 in his 12 seasons with the team. After Leonard,Jack McKinney,George Irvine, andJack Ramsay. When Ramsay abruptly resigned in 1988 after the team got off to a weak start, Pacers legendMel Daniels took over on an interim basis for two games, before Irvine returned for 20 more.Dick Versace then led the Pacers through another sub-par stretch beforeBob Hill got the Pacers back to the playoffs and into contention. Then in 1993,Larry Brown joined the Pacers franchise and led the team to many playoff appearances asReggie Miller blossomed into a superstar and eventual Hall of Famer.Larry Bird took over the team in 1997 and coached until 2000. Bird took the Pacers to their firstNBA Finals appearance in the1999–2000 season.Isiah Thomas,Rick Carlisle, andJim O'Brien were next up as the Pacers top coach. The most recent head coach of the Pacers wasFrank Vogel, until May 5, 2016, when his contract was not renewed after the seventh-seeded Pacers lost game 7 of the first round of the2016 NBA playoffs to the number two seededToronto Raptors. Subsequently, associate head coachNate McMillan was promoted to the top spot. After four seasons in which he compiled a 183–136 record, McMillan and the team parted ways on August 26, 2020, just two weeks after it had been announced that the team had re-signed him. On October 20, 2020, the team hired former Toronto Raptors assistant coachNate Bjorkgren as their new head coach. Bjorkgren would lead the Pacers to a 34–38 record in his lone season and the team missed the playoffs. On June 24, 2021, the Pacers re-hiredRick Carlisle for a second stint as the team's head coach.
Boomer, the Pacers Panther, has been the official team mascot since the1991–1992 season. Boomer is known for performing high flying dunks and dance moves. Boomer has performed for multipleNBA All-Star Games. He used to have a partner, known as Bowser who was a canine ("K-9") mascot that worked in tandem with Boomer who was retired during the2009–10 season.[187][188]
Founded in 1967, the same year as the Pacers franchise, theIndiana Pacemates were one of the original professional sports dance squads and the first such entity in the NBA. Originally known in the ABA era as theMarathon Scoreboard Girls, then later as thePaul Harris Pacesetters, the Pacemates name has been used since the 1972–1973 season.[189]
^"Pacers Announce 50th Season Celebration".Pacers.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. June 16, 2016. RetrievedOctober 12, 2025.The iconic original Pacers logo featured a hand holding a basketball to make the shape of the letter "P" while the colors of blue and gold were chosen to mimic the Indiana state flag.
^Coon, Larry."NBA Salary Cap FAQ – 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement". RetrievedApril 13, 2014.If the player is already under contract to, or signs a contract with a non-NBA team, the team retains the player's draft rights for one year after the player's obligation to the non-NBA team ends. Essentially, the clock stops as long as the player plays pro ball outside the NBA.
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