The Pacers already faced an uphill climb against the 64-win Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals when they inexplicably blew a late Game 1 lead at TD Garden. Is there still a path for Indiana to reach the NBA Finals?
It had been a long time since the Pacers even reached the conference finals, as they snapped a decade-long drought with their Game 7 win over the Knicks. Fans of the Big Three-era Heat might remember the Pacers were the biggest thorn in Miami’s side during the latter portion of that run, when Paul George, Lance Stephenson and Roy Hibbert headlined an upstart team that came within one win of the Finals.
Nothing about the 2023-24 Pacers is the same as it was a decade ago, and even more has changed since the franchise’s last NBA Finals appearance. It’s a new core giving hope to Indiana fans, with an old twist in the form of coach Rick Carlisle.
Here’s a look back at the Pacers’ championship history, including their last trip to the NBA Finals.
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Pacers NBA Finals history
When is the last time the Pacers went to the NBA Finals?
The Pacers last reached the NBA Finals in 2000, when they were led by Reggie Miller, Jalen Rose and Mark Jackson.
The 1999-20 Pacers went 56-26 under coach Larry Bird, but they faced a monstrous test against a 67-win Lakers team hungry for its first title of the Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O’Neal era. Indiana started the series and quickly fell behind 2-0, but a Game 3 win at home breathed some life into the Pacers and brought them within three wins of a title.
The steep climb got even tougher when the Lakers took Game 4 in Indiana, and a blowout win by Indiana in Game 5 wasn’t enough to seriously threaten Los Angeles’ championship hopes. Bryant and O’Neal won their first title together in Game 6.
Bryant’s struggles kept the Pacers within striking distance in the series. The young superstar averaged 15.6 points per game and shot just 36.7 percent from the field. That might have given the Pacers a window to win if they were able to even somewhat contain O’Neal. Instead, the dominant big man averaged 38.0 points and 16.7 rebounds across six games and tore Indiana’s defense apart. O’Neal led the Lakers in scoring in all six games, posting two 30-20 games and announcing his presence with back-to-back games of at least 40 points to open the series.
Miller was already on the verge of turning 35 by the time the Pacers reached the 2000 Finals, so Indiana’s title window wasn’t guaranteed to stay open much longer. Bird also resigned after the season, having promised he would only coach for three years.
The Pacers did re-tool their roster and become a stifling defensive team in the years ahead with Jermaine O’Neal and Ron Artest headlining their core, nearly getting back to the NBA Finals with a 61-win season in 2004 when they were coached by none other than Rick Carlisle.
They never returned, and the journey continues for the small-market Pacers in the Tyrese Haliburton era.
Have the Pacers won a championship?
The Pacers haven’t won an NBA championship since the 1976 NBA-ABA merger, though they did win ABA titles in 1970, 1972 and 1973.
Pacers great George McGinnis helped lead the franchise to its latter two ABA titles, impressing as a rookie in 1971-92 and following it up by averaging 27.6 points per game in his second season.
Indiana is one of 10 teams to have never won an NBA championship. One other is still active, as the Timberwolves are seeking their first title in franchise history. The Celtics are one of the most storied franchises in NBA history and last won in 2008, while the Mavericks own the most recent championship among the conference finalists with their 2011 title.
MORE: How Tyrese Haliburton, Reggie Miller trolled Knicks after Game 7
Longest NBA Finals droughts
The Pacers haven’t reached the NBA Finals in 24 years, but that’s far from the NBA’s longest drought. Five teams have never played in the NBA Finals, while eight more have droughts that extend longer than Indiana’s.
Here’s a list of each team’s last NBA Finals appearance:
| Team | Last NBA Finals Appearance | Drought |
| Clippers | Never | N/A |
| Timberwolves | Never | N/A |
| Grizzlies | Never | N/A |
| Hornets | Never | N/A |
| Pelicans | Never | N/A |
| Kings | 1951 | 73 years |
| Hawks | 1961 | 63 years |
| Wizards | 1979 | 45 years |
| Trail Blazers | 1992 | 32 years |
| Rockets | 1995 | 29 years |
| Bulls | 1998 | 26 years |
| Jazz | 1998 | 26 years |
| Knicks | 1999 | 25 years |
| Pacers | 2000 | 24 years |
| 76ers | 2001 | 23 years |
| Nets | 2003 | 21 years |
| Pistons | 2005 | 19 years |
| Magic | 2009 | 15 years |
| Mavericks | 2011 | 13 years |
| Thunder | 2012 | 12 years |
| Spurs | 2014 | 10 years |
| Cavaliers | 2018 | 6 years |
| Raptors | 2019 | 5 years |
| Lakers | 2020 | 4 years |
| Suns | 2021 | 3 years |
| Bucks | 2021 | 3 years |
| Celtics | 2022 | 2 years |
| Warriors | 2022 | 2 years |
| Heat | 2023 | 1 year |
| Nuggets | 2023 | 1 year |
