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{{Short description|American professional basketball team}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball club
| name =Indiana Pacers
| current = 2025–26 Indiana Pacers season
| logo = Indiana Pacers.svg
| imagesize = 200px
| conference = [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern]]
| division = [[Central Division (NBA)|Central]]
| founded = 1967| history = '''Indiana Pacers'''<br />1967–1976 (ABA)<br />1976–present (NBA)<ref>{{cite news|last=Montieth|first=Mark|title=The Great Eight Home Openers in Franchise History|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/great-eight-home-openers-franchise-history|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=August 14, 2014|access-date=May 13, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Franchise History–NBA Advanced Stats|url=https://www.nba.com/stats/history|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=NBA.com|access-date=May 13, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=NBA.com/Stats–Indiana Pacers seasons|url=https://www.nba.com/stats/team/1610612754/seasons|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Stats.NBA.com|access-date=December 2, 2022}}</ref>
| arena = [[Gainbridge Fieldhouse]]
| location = [[Indianapolis|Indianapolis, Indiana]]
| colors = Navy blue, gold, gray<!-- The official color name for the Indiana Pacers' blue is NAVY BLUE. Please DO NOT change it. Thank you.--><ref name="PacersNewLook">{{cite news|last=Hotchkiss|first=Wheat|title=Pacers Unveil New Look for 2017–18 Season|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/pacers-unveil-new-look-2017-18-season|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=July 28, 2017|access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Official Colors–Front Office|url=https://cdn.nba.com/teams/uploads/sites/1610612754/2025/10/2025-26-Indiana-Pacers-Media-Guide-web.pdf#page=12|publisher=NBA Properties, Inc.|work=2025–26 Indiana Pacers Media Guide|date=October 17, 2025|access-date=October 21, 2025}}</ref><ref name="PacersLogosheet">{{cite web|title=Indiana Pacers Reproduction and Usage Guideline Sheet|url=https://cdn-assets-us.frontify.com/s3/frontify-enterprise-files-us/eyJwYXRoIjoibmJhXC9maWxlXC9xUm9HcVFIaXE0ZGdjMm1MQXNyTi5wZGYifQ:nba:HQ-GIJ06p6Qd-K7Pa8QQoF1MfR1sNX2MxPrLXqwMmnI|publisher=NBA Properties, Inc.|access-date=June 30, 2025}}</ref><br />{{color box|#0C2340}} {{color box|#FFD520}} {{color box|#9EA2A2}}
| sponsor = [[Lucas Oil]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Indiana Pacers and Lucas Oil announce multi-year jersey patch partnership |url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/indiana-pacers-and-lucas-oil-announce-multi-year-jersey-patch-partnership |website=NBA.com |access-date=July 9, 2025 |date=July 9, 2025}}</ref>
| owner = [[Herb Simon (businessman)|Herb Simon]]
| President = [[Kevin Pritchard]]
| gm = [[Chad Buchanan (basketball)|Chad Buchanan]]
| coach = [[Rick Carlisle]]
| affiliation = [[Noblesville Boom]]
| league_champs = '''3'''<br />'''ABA: 3''' ([[1970 ABA Playoffs|1970]], [[1972 ABA Playoffs|1972]], [[1973 ABA Playoffs|1973]])<br/>'''NBA: 0'''
| conf_champs ='''2''' ([[2000 NBA playoffs|2000]], [[2025 NBA playoffs|2025]])
| div_champs = '''9'''<br />'''ABA: 3''' ([[1968–69 ABA season|1969]], [[1969–70 ABA season|1970]], [[1970–71 ABA season|1971]])<br />'''NBA: 6''' ([[1994–95 NBA season|1995]], [[1998–99 NBA season|1999]], [[1999–2000 NBA season|2000]], [[2003–04 NBA season|2004]], [[2012–13 NBA season|2013]], [[2013–14 NBA season|2014]])
| ret_nums = '''5''' (<!-- Do not add Bill Russell. Only names hanging up in the arena should be listed here. -->[[George McGinnis|30]], [[Reggie Miller|31]], [[Mel Daniels|34]], [[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|35]], [[Bobby Leonard|529]])
| website = {{URL|nba.com/pacers}}
| 1_title = Association
| 1_pattern_b = _indianapacers_association
| 1_pattern_s = _indianapacers_association
| 2_title = Icon
| 2_pattern_b = _indianapacers_icon
| 2_pattern_s = _indianapacers_icon
| 3_title = Statement
| 3_pattern_b = _indianapacers_statement
| 3_pattern_s = _indianapacers_statement
<!--| 4_title = City
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}}
The '''Indiana Pacers''' are an American professional [[basketball]] team based in [[Indianapolis]]. The Pacers compete in the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) as a member of the [[Central Division (NBA)|Central Division]] of the [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]]. The team was founded in 1967 as an original member of the [[American Basketball Association]] (ABA) and became a member of the NBA in 1976 as a result of the [[ABA–NBA merger]]. They play their home games at [[Gainbridge Fieldhouse]]. The team is named after the state of [[Indiana]]'s history with the [[Indianapolis 500]]'s [[Indianapolis 500 pace cars|pace cars]] and with the [[harness racing]] industry.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=Origins of the Name "Pacers"|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/origins-name-pacers|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=July 18, 2014|access-date=May 7, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Montieth|first=Mark|title=What's in a Name? For the Pacers, Quite a Bit|url=http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/whats-name-pacers-quite-bit|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=June 16, 2016|access-date=September 22, 2016}}</ref>

The Pacers have won three championships, in [[1970 ABA Playoffs|1970]], [[1972 ABA Playoffs|1972]], and [[1973 ABA Playoffs|1973]], all in the ABA. They also reached the [[ABA Finals]] in [[1969 ABA Playoffs|1969]] and [[1975 ABA Playoffs|1975]], and have also appeared in the [[NBA Finals]] in [[2000 NBA Finals|2000]] and [[2025 NBA Finals|2025]]. The team has also won nine division titles.

Six [[List of players in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] players – [[Reggie Miller]], [[Chris Mullin (basketball)|Chris Mullin]], [[Alex English]], [[Mel Daniels]], [[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|Roger Brown]], and [[George McGinnis]] – played with the Pacers for multiple seasons.<ref>{{cite web|title=Indiana Pacers Hall of Fame|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/IND/hof.html|publisher=Sports Reference|date=June 29, 2015|access-date=June 29, 2015}}</ref> The franchise has multiple [[List of coaches in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame coaches]] in [[Bobby Leonard|Bobby "Slick" Leonard]], [[Jack Ramsay]], and [[Larry Brown (basketball)|Larry Brown]]. Furthermore, former Pacers inducted into international Halls of Fame include Miller and [[Detlef Schrempf]] in the [[FIBA Hall of Fame]].

==History==
{{Main|History of the Indiana Pacers|List of Indiana Pacers seasons}}

===1967–1976: ABA dynasty===
[[File:George McGinnis.png|thumb|alt=McGinnis shooting|[[George McGinnis]] was an early standout for the Pacers during their time in the ABA]]
In early 1967, a group of six investors (attorney [[Richard Tinkham]], John DeVoe, [[Chuck DeVoe]], entrepreneur Lyn Treece, sports agent [[Chuck Barnes]], and ''[[Indianapolis Star]]'' sports writer Bob Collins) pooled their resources to purchase a franchise in the proposed [[American Basketball Association]].

For their first seven years, they played in the [[Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum]], although they did play select playoff games in various places, such as [[Anderson High School Wigwam]] for four playoff games (1969, 1971, 1972). and even [[Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall|Assembly Hall]] for two playoff games (1972).<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 22, 2019 |title=Pacers Found a Happy Home in Anderson |url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/pacers-found-happy-home-anderson |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=[[NBA.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.iu.edu/live/news/27429-ncaa-tournament-site-simon-skjodt-assembly-hall | title=NCAA tournament site Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall has been a historic venue for more than hoops}}</ref> In 1974, they moved to the new [[Market Square Arena]] in [[downtown Indianapolis]], where they played for 25 years.

Early in the Pacers' second season, former [[Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball|Indiana Hoosiers]] standout [[Bobby Leonard|Bob "Slick" Leonard]] became the team's head coach, replacing [[Larry Staverman]]. Leonard quickly turned the Pacers into a juggernaut. His teams were buoyed by the great play of superstars such as [[Mel Daniels]], [[George McGinnis]], [[Bob Netolicky]], [[Rick Mount]], [[Freddie Lewis]] and [[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|Roger 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Remember the ABA: Indiana Pacers|url=http://www.remembertheaba.com/Indiana-Pacers.html|access-date=May 25, 2025}}</ref>

===1976–1987: Early NBA struggles===
The Pacers were one of four ABA teams that joined the NBA in the [[ABA–NBA merger]] in the [[1976–77 NBA season|1976–77 season]], along with the [[Denver Nuggets]], [[New York Nets]], and [[San Antonio Spurs]].

The league charged a $3.2 million entry fee for each former ABA team.<ref>{{cite web|title=Remember the ABA: Indiana Pacers Ownership History|url=http://www.remembertheaba.com/TeamMaterial/IndianaMaterial/PacersRosters2.html|access-date=May 25, 2025}}</ref> 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, the [[Spirits of St. Louis]] and [[Kentucky Colonels]] (a third ABA team, the [[Virginia 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=RetroIndy: Early years of the Indiana Pacers |url=http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/NEWS06/81008022 |website=Indianapolis Star |access-date=May 25, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924051515/http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/NEWS06/81008022 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |date=January 10, 2013}}</ref>

The Pacers finished their inaugural NBA season with a record of 36–46. [[Billy Knight]] and [[Don Buse]] represented Indiana in the [[NBA 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 the [[1977–78 NBA season|1977–78 season]] even started. They acquired [[Adrian 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 (basketball, born 1951)|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 traded [[Alex English]] to the Nuggets to reacquire former ABA star [[George 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 a [[1984 NBA draft|1984 draft]] pick to the [[Portland Trail Blazers]] for center [[Tom 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. In [[1983–84 NBA season|1983–84]], 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 select [[Sam Bowie]], while [[Michael 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]], and [[John Stockton]].

[[Clark Kellogg]] was drafted by the Pacers in the [[1982 NBA draft|1982]] and finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, but the Pacers finished the [[1982–83 NBA season|1982–83 season]] with their all-time worst record of 20–62 and won only 26 games the [[1983–84 NBA season|following season]]. After winning 22 games in [[1984–85 NBA season|1984–85]] and 26 games in [[1985–86 NBA season|1985–86]], [[Jack Ramsay]] replaced [[George Irvine (basketball)|George Irvine]] as coach and led the Pacers to a 41–41 record in [[1986–87 NBA season|1986–87]] 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 the [[Atlanta Hawks]], but it was their only victory in that series, as the Hawks defeated them in four games.

===1987–2005: The Reggie Miller era===
[[File:Reggie Miller crop.png|right|thumb|alt=Miller smirking|Reggie Miller played his entire 18-year Hall of Fame career with the Pacers.]]
[[Reggie Miller]] from [[UCLA]] was drafted by the Pacers in [[1987 NBA draft|1987]], beginning his career as a backup to [[John Long (basketball, born 1956)|John Long]]. Many fans at the time disagreed with Miller's selection over [[Indiana Hoosiers]]' standout [[Steve Alford]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Helin|first=Kurt|title=Fans wanted Steve Alford, but Pacers drafted Reggie Miller|date=September 6, 2012|url=http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/06/fans-wanted-steve-alford-but-pacers-drafted-reggie-miller/}}</ref> The Pacers missed the playoffs in [[1987–88 NBA season|1987–88]], drafted [[Rik Smits]] in the [[1988 NBA draft]], and suffered through a disastrous [[1988–89 NBA season|1988–89 season]] in which coach [[Jack Ramsay]] stepped down following an 0–7 start. [[Mel Daniels]] and [[George Irvine (basketball)|George Irvine]] filled in on an interim basis before [[Dick Versace]] took over the 6–23 team on the way to a 28–54 finish. In February 1989, the team traded veteran center [[Herb Williams]] to the [[Dallas Mavericks]] for future NBA Sixth Man-of-the Year [[Detlef Schrempf]].

From 1989 to 1993, the Pacers would play at or near .500 and qualify for the playoffs; in [[1989–90 NBA season|1989–90]], the Pacers parlayed a fast start into the team's third playoff appearance under coach [[Bob Hill]]. But the Pacers were swept by the [[Detroit Pistons]], who would go on to win their second consecutive [[1990 NBA Finals|NBA championship]]. Reggie Miller became the first Pacer to play in the [[1990 NBA All-Star Game|All-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 the [[Boston Celtics]] in the [[1991 NBA playoffs|1991 playoffs]] that went to game 5. The next season, the Pacers returned to the playoffs in [[1992 NBA playoffs|1992]] 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 guard [[Micheal Williams]] were traded to the [[Minnesota Timberwolves]] in the off-season, and the Pacers got [[Pooh Richardson]] and [[Sam Mitchell (basketball)|Sam Mitchell]] in return. For the [[1992–93 NBA season|1992–93 season]], Detlef Schrempf moved from sixth man to the starter at [[small 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 the [[1993 NBA playoffs|playoffs]] with a 41–41 record, but lost to the [[New York Knicks]] in the first round, three games to one.

====1994–1997: Larry Brown era====
[[Larry Brown (basketball)|Larry Brown]] was brought aboard as Pacers' coach for the [[1993–94 NBA season|1993–94 season]], and Pacers' general manager [[Donnie Walsh]] completed a then highly criticized trade as he sent Schrempf to the [[Seattle SuperSonics]] in exchange for [[Derrick McKey]] and little known [[Gerald Paddio]]. But the Pacers won their last eight games of the season to finish with an NBA-era franchise-high 47 wins. They stormed past [[Shaquille O'Neal]] and the [[Orlando Magic]] in a first-round sweep to earn their [[1994 NBA playoffs|first NBA playoff series win]], and pulled off an upset by defeating the top-seeded [[Atlanta Hawks]] in the conference semifinals.

=====Back-to-back Eastern Conference finals appearances=====
With the 1994 [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern 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.<ref>{{cite web|last=Warner|first=Ralph|title=Reggie Miller Chokes Life Out of MSG|website=[[Complex Networks]] |url=http://www.complex.com/sports/2011/11/the-25-most-disrespectful-sports-celebrations-of-all-time-video/reggie-miller|access-date=November 28, 2011}}</ref> The Knicks ultimately came back to win the next two games and the series.<ref>{{cite web|last=James|first=Zach|title=This Series in Pacers History: 1994 Eastern Conference Finals|date=May 19, 2013|url=http://www.indycornrows.com/2013/5/19/4344708/this-series-in-pacers-history-1994-eastern-conference-finals|access-date=May 19, 2013|archive-date=June 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609133231/http://www.indycornrows.com/2013/5/19/4344708/this-series-in-pacers-history-1994-eastern-conference-finals|url-status=dead}}</ref> Miller was a tri-captain and leading scorer of the USA Basketball team that won the gold medal at the [[1994 FIBA World Championship]].<ref>{{cite web|title=A Look Back At The USA Men's 1994 World Championship Gold Medal|url=http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/national/10_mwc_feature_1994.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424212206/http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/national/10_mwc_feature_1994.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 24, 2012|access-date=February 25, 2010}}</ref>

[[Mark Jackson (basketball)|Mark Jackson]] joined the team in an off-season trade with the [[Los 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 in [[1994–95 NBA season|1994–95]], 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 the [[1995 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.<ref>{{cite web|last=Helin|first=Kurt|title=Video: Breaking down Reggie Miller's 8 points, 9 seconds|date=September 6, 2012|url=http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/06/video-breaking-down-reggie-millers-8-points-9-seconds/}}</ref> The Pacers beat the Knicks in seven games. They pushed the [[Orlando Magic]] to seven games before falling in the Eastern Conference finals.<ref>{{cite web|title=1995 NBA Eastern Conference Finals|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1995_ECF.html|access-date=May 25, 2025}}</ref>

=====Injury-plagued seasons=====
The Pacers duplicated their 52–30 record in [[1995–96 NBA season|1995–96]], 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. This [[1995–96 Indiana Pacers season|1995–96 Pacers]] did manage to go down in history as the only team to defeat the [[Chicago 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 in [[1996–97 NBA season|1996–97]], nor could they handle the absence of Mark Jackson, who had been traded to the [[Denver 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 coach [[Larry Brown (basketball)|Larry Brown]] stepped down.

====1997–2000: Larry Bird era====
In the [[1997–98 NBA season]], Indiana native and former [[Boston Celtics]] great [[Larry 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.

=====Back-to-back Eastern Conference finals appearances=====
[[Chris Mullin (basketball)|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 coaches [[Rick Carlisle]], in charge of the offense, and [[Dick Harter]], who coached the defense, were key in getting the most out of the Pacers' role players such as [[Dale Davis (basketball)|Dale Davis]], [[Derrick McKey]], and a young [[Antonio Davis]]. Miller and [[Rik Smits]] both made the All-Star team that year, and [[1998 NBA playoffs|in the playoffs]], the Pacers breezed past the [[Cleveland Cavaliers]] and New York Knicks before falling to the Chicago Bulls in a seven-game [[1998 NBA playoffs|Eastern Conference finals]].

In the [[1998–99 NBA lockout|lockout]]-shortened [[1998–99 NBA season|1998–99 season]], the Pacers won the Central Division with a 33–17 record and swept the [[Milwaukee Bucks]] and [[Philadelphia 76ers]] before falling to the Knicks in a six-game [[1999 NBA playoffs|Eastern Conference finals]].

=====2000 NBA Finals appearance=====
Prior to the [[1999–2000 NBA season]], the Pacers traded forward [[Antonio Davis]] to the [[Toronto Raptors]] in exchange for first-round draft choice [[Jonathan Bender]]. In the [[2000 NBA playoffs]], after a 56–26 regular season, the Pacers survived the upset-minded [[Milwaukee Bucks]] in the first round, handled the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] in the second round and finally broke through to the [[2000 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]] by virtue of a six-game conference finals victory over the New York Knicks. Their first NBA Finals appearance was against the [[Los 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=2000 NBA Finals - Pacers vs. Lakers |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2000-nba-finals-pacers-vs-lakers.html |website=Basketball-Reference.com |access-date=May 25, 2025}}</ref>

====2000–2003: Isiah Thomas era====
The off-season brought sweeping changes to the Pacers' lineup, as Rik Smits and coach Larry Bird retired, Chris Mullin returned to the [[Golden State Warriors]], Mark Jackson signed a long-term contract with [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]], and Dale Davis was traded to [[Portland Trail Blazers|Portland]] for [[Jermaine O'Neal]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/blazers-trade-o-neal-to-pacers-for-davis-1.208795|title=Blazers trade O'Neal to Pacers for Davis|work=CBC Sports|date=August 31, 2000|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> 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 coach [[Isiah Thomas]]. However, the team still managed to return to the [[2001 NBA playoffs|playoffs]], where they lost to the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in four games.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/03/sports/nba-roundup-76ers-eliminate-pacers-and-rest-for-round-2.html|title=N.B.A.: ROUNDUP; 76ers Eliminate Pacers And Rest for Round 2|work=The New York Times|agency=The Associated Press|date=May 3, 2001|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

=====Jermaine O'Neal's rise to stardom=====
In the midseason of [[2001–02 NBA season|2001–02]], the Pacers made a blockbuster trade with the [[Chicago Bulls]] that sent [[Jalen Rose]] and [[Travis Best]] to Chicago in exchange for [[Brad Miller (basketball)|Brad Miller]], [[Ron Artest]], [[Kevin Ollie]] and [[Ron Mercer]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/rose_020219.html|title=Bulls Acquire Rose, Best in Seven-Player Trade|work=NBA|date=February 19, 2002|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> 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 to [[2002 NBA playoffs|return to the playoffs]], where they pushed the top-seeded [[New Jersey Nets]] to five games before losing game 5 in double overtime.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/220502017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206065033/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/220502017|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 6, 2022|title=Nets survive two OTs for second series win|date=May 6, 2002|access-date=November 30, 2022|work=ESPN|location=East Rutherford|agency=The Associated Press}}</ref> [[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 in [[2002–03 NBA season|2002–03]] 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]] and [[Austin 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 the [[2003 NBA playoffs|playoffs]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2003/05/02/celtics-finish-off-pacers-with-rout/d4e3f6f2-7021-468e-9910-70ec1ab04f6c/|title=Celtics Finish Off Pacers With Rout|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 2, 2003|access-date=November 30, 2022|last=Goodman|first=Jeff}}</ref>

====2003–2007: Rick Carlisle era====
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 the [[Sacramento Kings]] in exchange for [[Scot Pollard]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=1584734|title=Pacers set to sign Brad Miller, trade him to Kings|work=ESPN|date=July 24, 2003|last=Stein|first=Marc|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> who spent much of the following year watching from the bench and backing up [[Jeff Foster (basketball)|Jeff Foster]]. The Pacers also signed Larry Bird as team president, and Bird wasted little time in dismissing coach Isiah Thomas and replacing him with [[Rick Carlisle]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.basketballnetwork.net/old-school/isiah-thomas-recalls-the-brutal-response-he-got-from-larry-bird-when-he-fired-him-as-the-head-coach-of-the-indiana-pacers|title=Isiah Thomas recalls the brutal response he got from Larry Bird when he fired him as the head coach of the Indiana Pacers|publisher=Basketball Network|date=November 11, 2022|access-date=November 30, 2022|last=Starjacki|first=Will}}</ref>

=====Ron Artest's rise to stardom=====
The Pacers responded to Carlisle extremely well and had a breakthrough [[2003–04 NBA season|2003–04 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 the [[2004 NBA All-Star Game|All-Star team]], and Artest was named the [[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|NBA's Defensive Player of the Year]]; the Pacers swept the Boston Celtics in the [[2004 NBA playoffs|first round]] and squeezed by the [[Miami 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 the [[2004 NBA Finals|NBA Championship]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.retroseasons.com/teams/indiana-pacers/2004/overview/|title=Indiana Pacers 2003-04 Season recap|website=Retroseasons.com|publisher=RetroSeasons|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/240601008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130113916/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/240601008|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 30, 2022|title=Rip, Ben big again for Detroit|date=June 7, 2004|access-date=November 30, 2022|work=ESPN|location=Auburn Hills|agency=The Associated Press}}</ref>

=====Miller's final season and Malice at the Palace =====
[[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 the [[Atlanta Hawks]] in return for [[Stephen Jackson]] after Harrington allegedly demanded that the Pacers start him or trade him.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=nba&id=1840632|title=Pacers deal Harrington to Hawks for Jackson|agency=The Associated Press|work=ESPN|date=July 15, 2004|access-date=November 30, 2022|location=Indianapolis, IN}}</ref> Nevertheless, the Pacers started the [[2004–05 NBA season|2004–05 season]] strongly until a November 19, 2004 game. Toward the end of a Pacers victory over the Detroit Pistons at [[The Palace of Auburn Hills]], the Pacers' [[Metta World Peace|Ron Artest]] committed a hard foul against [[Ben Wallace (basketball)|Ben Wallace]]. Wallace retaliated with a hard push, threw a towel at Artest, and the situation escalated to a [[Pacers–Pistons brawl|full-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 of [[Diet Coke]] at Artest, causing him to charge into the stands. [[Stephen Jackson]] followed him into the stands while [[Jermaine 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sports-brawls-nba-infamous|title=NBA players and fans brawl at infamous "Malice at the Palace" game|work=History|date=September 2, 2021 |access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

Several of the involved players were suspended by NBA Commissioner [[David 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 (basketball)|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, and [[David Harrison (basketball)|David Harrison]] were charged with one count each.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2021/08/09/malice-palace-what-know-pacers-pistons-brawl-untold-netflix/5401800001/|title=Pacers-Pistons brawl: What you need to know about the Malice at the Palace in 2004|work=IndyStar|date=August 9, 2021|access-date=November 30, 2022|first1=Nat|last1=Newell|first2=Candance|last2=Buckner|first3=J.|last3=Michael|first4=Clifton|last4=Brown|first5=Dana Hunsinger|last5=Benbow}}</ref>

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 of [[Dale Davis (basketball)|Dale Davis]], who had been released by the [[New Orleans Hornets]] after being traded there by the [[Golden 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 to [[Jermaine 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 the [[2005 NBA playoffs|playoffs]] 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/250507002|title=Slower pace works to Indy's advantage|work=ESPN|agency=The Associated Press|location=Boston|date=May 8, 2005|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> 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 at [[The 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 an [[NBA Finals|NBA Championship]] in his 18-year career, all with the Pacers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2005/05/20/pistons-eliminate-pacers/|title=Pistons eliminate Pacers|location=Indianapolis|work=East Bay Times|agency=The Associated Press|date=May 20, 2005|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> Miller had his No. 31 jersey retired by the Pacers on March 30, 2006, when the Pacers played the [[Phoenix Suns]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Pacers raise Reggie Miller's No. 31 to rafters|date = March 31, 2006|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2391064|access-date=March 31, 2006}}</ref>

===2005–2012: The Danny Granger era===
[[File:Danny Granger.jpg|right|thumb|alt=Granger shooting a free throw|Danny Granger led the team in scoring for five consecutive seasons]]
The team went on to draft [[Danny Granger]] 17th overall in the [[2005 NBA draft]]. During the [[2005–06 NBA season|2005–06 season]], the Pacers traded [[Metta Sandiford-Artest|Ron Artest]] to the [[Sacramento Kings]] in exchange for [[Peja Stojaković]]. Despite the loss of Reggie Miller, the Artest saga, and many key injuries, the Pacers [[2006 NBA playoffs|made 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 (basketball)|Anthony Johnson]] scored 40 points, but the Pacers' season came to an end as the Nets won 96–90.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.co.uk/nba/recap/_/gameId/260504011|title=Nets withstand Johnson's 40, eliminate Pacers|work=ESPN|agency=The Associated Press|date=May 5, 2006|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

The Pacers finished the [[2006–07 NBA season|2006–07 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 to [[New Jersey Nets]] knocked the Pacers out of the [[2007 NBA playoffs|playoffs]] for the first time since the 1996–97 season.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/270415011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130120616/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/270415011|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 30, 2022|title=Pacers winding down to last straw in pursuit of playoffs|work=ESPN|agency=The Associated Press|date=April 15, 2007|access-date=November 30, 2022|location=Indianapolis}}</ref>

====2007–2010: O'Neal's final season and rebuilding years====
On April 10, 2007, the Pacers announced that coach [[Rick Carlisle]] had been fired, with the Pacers' first losing record in ten seasons being the main reason for the coach's dismissal.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2848972|title=Carlisle won't return as Pacers head coach|date=April 26, 2007|access-date=November 30, 2022|agency=The Associated Press|location=Indianapolis}}</ref> 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 with [[ESPN]] before returning to coach the [[Dallas Mavericks]] in 2008 (where he would win a championship in 2011).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=3384674|title=Carlisle says talks are 'moving along,' could be hired by Mavs Friday|last=Stein|first=Marc|work=ESPN|date=May 7, 2008|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> On May 31, 2007, [[Jim O'Brien (basketball, born 1952)|Jim O'Brien]] was named Carlisle's successor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/obrien_release_070531.html|title=PACERS NAME O'BRIEN HEAD COACH|publisher=NBA|date=May 31, 2007|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> 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, the [[2007–08 NBA season|2007–08 season]] displayed many signs of growth in the team, especially towards the end of the season. Off-court legal distraction from [[Jamaal Tinsley]], [[Marquis Daniels]], and [[Shawne 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 forwards [[Danny Granger]] and [[Mike Dunleavy Jr.|Mike Dunleavy]]. Both Granger and Dunleavy were involved in the voting for [[NBA Most Improved Player Award|Most Improved Player]], with Dunleavy finishing in the top 10.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_2008.html|title=2007-08 NBA Awards Voting|publisher=Basketball Reference|access-date=December 1, 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/2008/10/27/9-indiana-pacers|title=9 INDIANA PACERS|last=Torre|first=Pablo S.|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|publisher=Sports Illustrated|date=October 27, 2008|access-date=December 1, 2022}}</ref>

In April of the 2007–08 season, [[Donnie Walsh]], Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO & President, left the Indiana Pacers to join the [[New York Knicks]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nypost.com/2008/04/02/walsh-hired-to-run-knicks/|title=WALSH HIRED TO RUN KNICKS|work=New York Post|last=Berman|first=Marc|date=April 2, 2008|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> All of Walsh's basketball-related duties were given to Pacers' President of Basketball Operations [[Larry Bird]]. Walsh's business-related roles were given to co-owner [[Herb Simon (businessman)|Herb Simon]] and Jim Morris, who was promoted to President of Pacers Sports & Entertainment.

During the 2009 off-season, the Pacers traded declining [[Jermaine O'Neal]] along with [[Nathan Jawai]] to the [[Toronto Raptors]] in exchange for [[Roy Hibbert]], [[T. J. Ford]], [[Rasho Nesterović]] and [[Maceo Baston]]. Hibbert would go on to be a two-time [[NBA All-Star Game|all–star]] for the Pacers and was known as a defensive force with his [[Block (basketball)|shot-blocking]] abilities.

During the [[2009–10 NBA season|2009–10 season]], Pacers forward [[Tyler Hansbrough]] ([[2009 NBA draft|drafted in 2009]]) suffered a season-ending ear injury, and without center [[Jeff Foster (basketball)|Jeff 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 waning [[Detroit Pistons]] for the first time in five years,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com.au/nba/recap/_/gameId/300323008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527174806/https://www.espn.com.au/nba/recap/_/gameId/300323008|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 27, 2022|title=Pacers sweep season series vs. Pistons|location=Auburn Hills|work=ESPN|agency=The Associated Press|date=March 24, 2010|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> and the abysmal [[New Jersey Nets]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/rewind-pacers-nets-100410|title=Murphy scores 25, Granger 22 as Pacers heat up to beat Nets, 115-102 100410|publisher=NBA|date=April 10, 2010|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> 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, guard [[A. 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=5216360|title=Price expected to miss 4-6 months|work=ESPN|agency=The Associated Press|date=May 25, 2010|access-date=November 30, 2022|location=Indianapolis}}</ref>

====2010–2012: The arrival of Paul George and Danny Granger's final years====
In the [[2010 NBA draft]], the Pacers selected forward/guard [[Paul George]] with the 10th overall pick.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/nbadraft/results/rounds/_/year/2010/round/1|title=2010 NBA Draft Results Round 1|work=ESPN|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> In the second round, they drafted guard [[Lance Stephenson]], as well as forward [[Ryan Reid (basketball)|Ryan Reid]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/nba/draft2010/index|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405191638/http://www.espn.com/nba/draft2010/index|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 5, 2017|title=NBA Draft 2010|work=ESPN|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> The draft rights to Reid were traded on draft night to the [[Oklahoma City Thunder]] in exchange for the rights to forward/center [[Magnum Rolle]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/nba/thunder/2010/07/30/oklahoma-city-thunders-ryan-reid-is-the-nbas-non-lebron/61223639007/|title=Oklahoma City Thunder's Ryan Reid is 'The NBA's non-LeBron'|last=Rohde|first=John|work=The Oklahoman|date=July 30, 2010|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://latechsports.com/news/2010/9/30/Rolle_Signs_Two_Year_Deal_with_Pacers|title=Rolle Signs Two-Year Deal with Pacers|work=Louisiana Tech University|date=September 30, 2010|access-date=November 30, 2022|location=Ruston}}</ref> 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 man [[Lance Allred]]. Both were cut before the regular season began.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wthr.com/article/sports/pacers-waive-rookie-forward-magnum-rolle/531-4e5e2491-10b0-4864-ac51-d09d2fe1874f|title=Pacers waive rookie forward Magnum Rolle|work=WTHR|date=October 25, 2010|access-date=November 30, 2022|location=Indianapolis}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29371/lance-allred|title=Lance Allred|last=Wells|first=Mike|date=October 22, 2010|work=NBC Sports|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

On August 11, 2010, the Pacers acquired guard [[Darren Collison]] and swingman [[James Posey]] from the [[New Orleans Hornets]] in a four-team, five-player deal. [[Troy Murphy]] was dealt to the [[New Jersey Nets]] in that trade.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/434758-nba-trade-what-acquiring-darren-collison-means-for-the-pacers |title=NBA Trade: What Acquiring Darren Collison Means for The Pacers|last=Massey|first=Evan|date=August 13, 2010|work=Bleacher Report}}</ref>

In the [[2010–11 NBA season|2010–11 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/21370/pacers-record-3rd-quarter-sparks-win|title=Pacers record 3rd quarter sparks win|work=ESPN|date=November 10, 2010|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Frank Vogel at NBA Cares charity event February 14 2014 cropped.jpg|alt=Vogel smiling|right|thumb|[[Frank Vogel]] was the Pacers' head coach from 2011 to 2016]]
On January 30, 2011, the Pacers relieved [[Jim O'Brien (basketball, born 1952)|Jim O'Brien]] of his coaching duties and named assistant coach [[Frank Vogel]] interim head coach.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=6074127|title=Pacers dismiss coach Jim O'Brien|work=ESPN|agency=The Associated Press|date=January 31, 2011|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

With a victory over the [[Washington Wizards]] on April 6, 2011, the Pacers [[2011 NBA playoffs|clinched their first playoff berth]] since 2006.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/wizards-get-demolished-by-pacers/2011/04/06/AFcJuHsC_story.html|title=Wizards get demolished by Pacers|last=Lee|first=Michael|newspaper=The Washington Post|location=Indianapolis|date=April 6, 2011|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2011-nba-eastern-conference-first-round-pacers-vs-bulls.html|title=2011 NBA Eastern Conference First Round Pacers vs. Bulls|publisher=Basketball Reference|access-date=December 1, 2022}}</ref>

The Pacers named Vogel their permanent head coach on July 7, 2011.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.slamonline.com/archives/frank-vogel-officially-named-indianas-head-coach/|title=Frank Vogel Officially Named Indiana's Head Coach|last=Riches|first=Tim|date=July 6, 2011|work=Slam|access-date=November 30, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308131922/https://www.slamonline.com/archives/frank-vogel-officially-named-indianas-head-coach/ |archive-date= March 8, 2023}}</ref> They acquired [[George Hill (basketball)|George Hill]] from the [[San Antonio Spurs]] on [[2011 NBA draft|draft night]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/pacers_acquire_george_hill_fro_2011_06_24.html|title=Pacers Acquire George Hill From Spurs |date=June 24, 2011|access-date=November 30, 2022|publisher=NBA|location=Indianapolis}}</ref> After the lockout, and losing [[Mike Dunleavy Jr.]] to free agency, the Pacers signed former two-time All-Star power forward [[David West (basketball)|David West]] to a two-year deal.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/7341777/free-agent-david-west-signs-indiana-pacers|title=David West, Pacers have 2-year deal|work=ESPN|date=December 12, 2011|access-date=December 1, 2022}}</ref> These new players contributed to the Pacers' record of 21–12 at the All-Star break. The Pacers acquired another key piece in [[Leandro Barbosa]] from the [[Toronto Raptors]] at the trade deadline, mid-season.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/7690948/toronto-raptors-deal-leandro-barbosa-indiana-pacers|title=Pacers get Leandro Barbosa|date=March 16, 2012|access-date=November 30, 2022|work=ESPN|agency=The Associated Press|location=Indianapolis}}</ref>

At the end of the [[2011–12 NBA season|2011–12 season]], the team, led in scoring by [[Danny 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 the [[Orlando Magic]] 105–87 to win their first playoff series since 2005 and would go on to play the [[Miami Heat]] in the [[2012 NBA playoffs|Eastern Conference semifinals]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2012-nba-eastern-conference-first-round-magic-vs-pacers.html|title=2012 NBA Eastern Conference First Round Magic vs. Pacers|publisher=Basketball Reference|access-date=December 1, 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/320524011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130133509/https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/320524011|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 30, 2022|title=Dwyane Wade, Heat close out Pacers in six games|work=ESPN|agency=The Associated Press|date=May 25, 2012|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

The following season, Granger was sidelined by a knee injury and managed only to play five games. Granger made his return during the [[2013–14 NBA season|2013–14 season]]; however, he failed to regain his form of the previous seasons. Granger was then traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for wing [[Evan Turner]] and forward [[Lavoy Allen]] in a swap that took place approximately 30 minutes before the trade deadline.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pacers Acquire Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen|url=http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/pacers-acquire-evan-turner-and-lavoy-allen|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|access-date=June 30, 2015}}</ref>

===2012–2017: The Paul George era===
[[File:Paul George Pacers.jpg|left|alt=George charging|thumb|[[Paul George]] with the Pacers in 2014]]

====2012–2014: Championship aspirations====
On June 26, 2012, general manager [[David Morway]] officially resigned.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wells|first=Mike|title=David Morway resigns as general manager of Pacers|url=http://www.indystar.com/article/20120626/SPORTS04/120626031/David-Morway-resigns-general-manager-Pacers?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CSports%7Cs|work=Indianapolis Star|access-date=June 26, 2012}}</ref> The following day, president of basketball operations, [[Larry Bird]] stepped down. Bird and Morway were officially replaced by [[Donnie Walsh]] and [[Kevin Pritchard]], respectively.<ref>{{cite web|title=Larry Bird officially steps down|date=June 27, 2012|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/8101542/indiana-pacers-part-ways-larry-bird-introduce-donnie-walsh-new-president|access-date=June 27, 2012}}</ref> 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 the [[2012 NBA draft]], the Pacers selected [[Miles Plumlee]] with the 26th pick and acquired [[Orlando Johnson (basketball)|Orlando Johnson]], the 36th pick from the [[Sacramento Kings]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2012.html|title=2012 NBA Draft|publisher=Basketball Reference|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> The team also acquired key bench players [[Ian Mahinmi]], [[Gerald Green]], and [[D. J. Augustin]].

On April 7, 2013, the Pacers clinched their first Central Division championship since the 2003–04 season. They finished the [[2012–13 NBA season|2012–13 season]] with a 49–32 record, the third seed in the Eastern Conference, and beat the [[Atlanta Hawks]] in the first round of the playoffs. The Pacers then beat the [[New York Knicks]] in six games to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2004 to face the defending champs, the [[Miami Heat]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=2013 NBA Eastern Conference Finals|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_2013_ECF.html|publisher=Basketball Reference|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> The Pacers lost game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 22, 2013, in overtime 103–102.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/games/20130522/INDMIA/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore|title=Pacers at Heat|work=NBA.com|access-date=June 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330123450/http://www.nba.com/games/20130522/INDMIA/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore|archive-date=March 30, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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 from [[LeBron 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 players [[Udonis Haslem]] and [[Chris Andersen]], and won 114–96.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/games/20130526/MIAIND/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore|title=Heat at Pacers|work=NBA.com|access-date=June 30, 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2013-nba-eastern-conference-finals-pacers-vs-heat.html|title=2013 NBA Eastern Conference Finals|access-date=November 30, 2022|publisher=Basketball Reference}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Tzucker|first=Jeff|title=Bird Back, Focused on Winning|url=http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/bird-back-focused-winning|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=June 27, 2013|access-date=October 21, 2018}}</ref> In the [[2013 NBA draft]], the Pacers selected [[Solomon Hill (basketball)|Solomon Hill]] with the 23rd overall pick.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1681873-solomon-hill-picked-by-indiana-pacers-scouting-report-and-analysis|title=Solomon Hill Picked by Indiana Pacers: Scouting Report and Analysis|work=Bleacher Report|last=Wasserman|first=Jonathan|date=June 28, 2013|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> During the 2013 off-season, the Pacers made strengthening their bench a priority, resulting in the acquisitions of point guard [[C. J. Watson]], and forwards [[Chris Copeland]] and [[Luis Scola]], the latter being acquired via trade with the [[Phoenix Suns]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/IND/2014_transactions.html|title=2013-14 Indiana Pacers Transactions|publisher=Basketball Reference|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Lance Stephenson 2018.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|alt=Stephenson holding a basketball and looking up|[[Lance Stephenson]] in 2018]]
The [[2013–14 NBA season|2013–14 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 for [[2014 NBA All-Star Game]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Indiana's Frank Vogel Earns Spot as Eastern Conference Head Coach for 2014 NBA All-Star Game|url=http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/indianas-frank-vogel-earns-spot-eastern-conference-head-coach-2014-nba-all-star-game|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=January 14, 2014|access-date=January 15, 2014|archive-date=January 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115140411/http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/indianas-frank-vogel-earns-spot-eastern-conference-head-coach-2014-nba-all-star-game|url-status=dead}}</ref> Paul George and Roy Hibbert were selected for the All-Star Game.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1962126-nba-all-star-game-2014-rosters-starting-lineups-reserves-and-stat-predictions|title=NBA All-Star Game 2014 Rosters: Starting Lineups, Reserves and Stat Predictions|work=Bleacher Report|date=February 16, 2014|last=DeJohn|first=Kenny|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> The Pacers signed two-time NBA champion and [[2012 NBA All-Star Game|2012 All-Star]] [[Andrew 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2014_standings.html|title=2013-14 NBA Standings|publisher=Basketball Reference|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

The Pacers started off the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks, defeating them in seven games.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2014-nba-eastern-conference-first-round-hawks-vs-pacers.html|title=2014 NBA Eastern Conference First Round Hawks vs. Pacers|access-date=November 30, 2022|publisher=Basketball Reference}}</ref> The Pacers then defeated Washington in six games in the semifinals,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2014-nba-eastern-conference-semifinals-wizards-vs-pacers.html|title=2014 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals Wizards vs. Pacers|access-date=November 30, 2022|publisher=Basketball Reference}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/pacers-stephenson-blows-lebron-ear-game-5-article-1.1809425|title=VIDEO: Pacers' Lance Stephenson blows in LeBron James' ear during Game 5 vs. Heat|work=New York Daily News|last=O'Leary|first=Daniel|date=May 30, 2014|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> Despite the win, the Pacers were eliminated in game 6 by the Miami Heat for the third straight year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2014-nba-eastern-conference-finals-heat-vs-pacers.html|title=2014 NBA Eastern Conference Finals Heat vs. Pacers|publisher=Basketball Reference|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

====2014–2017: George's injury and final seasons====
[[File:McMillan Hawks.jpg|thumb|150px|alt=McMillan on the sidelines, looking at a game|left|[[Nate McMillan]], Pacers coach from 2016 until 2020.]]
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 defend [[James 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/basketball/story/_/id/11298573/paul-george-suffers-apparent-serious-leg-injury-team-usa-showcase-game|title=Paul George suffers serious injury|work=ESPN|location=Las Vegas|date=August 2, 2014|access-date=December 1, 2022|last=Windhorst|first=Brian}}</ref> He was stretchered off of the court. A day later, George successfully underwent surgery. He was expected to miss the entire [[2014–15 NBA season|2014–15 season]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/paul-george-injury-update-broken-leg-out-for-the-season-indiana-pacers-team-usa/dm0ooocoi7wj1lyvqg3dtaso5|title=Reports: Paul George to miss entire 2014-15 season|work=Sporting News|date=August 3, 2014|last=Machir|first=Troy|access-date=December 1, 2022}}</ref> On April 5, 2015, Paul George returned from his injury to play in a game against the [[Miami 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/game/mia-vs-ind-0021401149/box-score|title=Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers Apr 5, 2015 Box Scores|publisher=NBA|date=April 5, 2015|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> After failing to reach the [[2015 NBA playoffs|2015 NBA Playoffs]], the team departed with core players [[Roy Hibbert]], [[David West (basketball)|David West]], and [[Luis Scola]]. In the [[2015 NBA draft]], the Pacers selected [[Myles Turner]] 11th overall.

During the off-season, the Pacers signed star [[Monta Ellis]] as well as role player [[Jordan Hill (basketball)|Jordan Hill]], while acquiring [[Ty Lawson]] during the season. Paul George fully recovered from his injury and made the [[2016 NBA All-Star Game]] as a starter. The Pacers would go on to lose game 7 in the first round against the [[Toronto Raptors]] ending their [[2015–16 NBA season|2015–16 season]]. Despite the Pacers going 45–37 and making the playoffs,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/IND/2016.html|title=2015-16 Indiana Pacers Roster and Stats - Basketball-Reference.com|website=Basketball-Reference.com}}</ref> on May 5, 2016, Pacers' president [[Larry Bird]] announced that head coach [[Frank Vogel]]'s contract would not be renewed, citing a need for "a new voice" to lead the players.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pacers Announce Frank Vogel Will Not Return as Coach|url=http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/larry-bird-hold-press-conference-thursday-morning-160504|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=May 5, 2016|access-date=May 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/pacers-part-coach-vogel-230700761.html|title=Pacers part with coach Vogel|work=Yahoo.com|date=May 5, 2016|access-date=May 5, 2016|archive-date=May 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514142015/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/pacers-part-coach-vogel-230700761.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Later that month former [[Seattle SuperSonics]] and [[Portland Trail Blazers]] head coach [[Nate McMillan]] was promoted to replace Vogel.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pacers name assistant McMillan as new coach|url=http://www.nba.com/2016/news/05/16/indiana-pacers-name-nate-mcmillan-as-new-coach/index.html|website=NBA.com|access-date=May 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160521000225/http://www.nba.com/2016/news/05/16/indiana-pacers-name-nate-mcmillan-as-new-coach/index.html|archive-date=May 21, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The team made several off-season moves, acquiring new starters [[Jeff Teague]] and [[Thaddeus Young]], as well as key bench players [[Al Jefferson]] and [[Aaron Brooks (basketball)|Aaron Brooks]]. During the season, the Pacers waived [[Rodney Stuckey]] in order to sign former fan-favorite [[Lance Stephenson]]. The Pacers qualified to play in the 2017 [[2017 NBA playoffs|NBA Playoffs]] with a 42–40 record, which earned them the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. However, they were given a quick exit by the [[2016 NBA Finals|defending champions]], the Cleveland Cavaliers, who swept them in four games.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/playoffs/2017/04/23/lebron-james-cavs-sweep-pacers-advance-second-round-nba-playoffs/100819262/|title=LeBron James, Cavs sweep Pacers, advance to second round of NBA playoffs|work=USA Today|last=Zillgitt|first=Jeff|date=April 23, 2017|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

===2017–2021: The Oladipo and Sabonis era===
On June 30, 2017, [[Paul George]] was traded to the [[Oklahoma City Thunder]] for [[Victor Oladipo]] and [[Domantas Sabonis]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nba.com/news/paul-george-traded-oklahoma-city-thunder-official-release|title=Oklahoma City Thunder trade for All-Star swingman Paul George|publisher=NBA|date=July 7, 2017|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> 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]], and [[Three-point field goal|three-point]] percentage, which resulted to winning the [[NBA Most Improved Player Award]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Zucker |first1=Joseph |title=Victor Oladipo Wins 2018 NBA Most Improved Player of the Year Award |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2776585-victor-oladipo-wins-2018-nba-most-improved-player-of-the-year-award |website=Bleacher Report |access-date=January 4, 2019 |date=June 26, 2018}}</ref> Sabonis also showed an increase in points, rebounds, and assists while leading the Pacers in rebounding during the [[2017–18 NBA season|2017–18 season]]. Oladipo would be selected as a [[2018 NBA All-Star Game|2018 NBA All-Star]] reserve,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-all-star-game-2018-full-rosters-warriors-get-four-in-kemba-in-for-kristaps/|title=NBA All-Star Game 2018 full rosters: Warriors get four in; Kemba in for Kristaps|work=CBS Sports|date=February 8, 2018|access-date=November 30, 2022|first1=Colin|last1=Ward-Henninger|first2=Jack|last2=Maloney}}</ref> while Sabonis was selected to represent Team World in the [[Rising Stars Challenge]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2018-nba-rising-stars-challenge-rosters-big-presence-for-lakers-and-76ers/|title=2018 NBA Rising Stars Challenge rosters: Big presence for Lakers and 76ers|last=Barnewell|first=Chris|work=CBS Sports|date=January 24, 2018|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref> Oladipo ended the season leading the NBA in steals per game. The team welcomed back former Pacer [[Darren Collison]] as well as newcomers [[Bojan Bogdanović]] and [[Cory 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 the [[Cleveland Cavaliers]] in the first round of the [[2018 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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Eppers |first1=Matt |title=Exhausted LeBron James after Cavs' seven–game series win over Pacers: 'I'm burnt right now' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/playoffs/2018/04/29/lebron-james-exhausted-cavaliers-pacers-tough-seven-game-series/563728002/ |website=USA Today |access-date=March 23, 2019 |date=April 30, 2018}}</ref>

The [[2018–19 NBA season|2018–19 season]] welcomed new players [[Tyreke Evans]], [[Wesley Matthews]], and [[Doug McDermott]]. Oladipo would be selected as an All-Star reserve again for the [[2019 NBA All-Star Game|2019 game]]. However, while playing against the Toronto Raptors on January 23, 2019, he left the game with a [[Quadriceps tendon rupture|ruptured quad tendon]], and he was ruled out for the rest of the season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pacers star Victor Oladipo leaves Wednesday's game with serious knee injury |url=https://www.wthr.com/article/pacers-star-victor-oladipo-leaves-wednesdays-game-serious-knee-injury |website=13 WTHR Indianapolis |access-date=March 23, 2019 |date=January 23, 2019 |archive-date=March 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323230240/https://www.wthr.com/article/pacers-star-victor-oladipo-leaves-wednesdays-game-serious-knee-injury |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Wojnarowski|first=Adrian|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25835499/victor-oladipo-indiana-pacers-stretchered-serious-knee-injury|title=Victor Oladipo stretchered off in serious knee injury|work=ESPN.com|date=January 23, 2019|access-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref> Regardless, the Pacers again finished the season going 48–34 and secured a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive time on March 22,<ref>{{cite web |title=NBA India Games: Indiana Pacers clinch 2019 playoff berth |url=https://in.nba.com/news/nba-india-games-indiana-pacers-clinch-2019-playoffspot/129g7jubbjw1n1179f4wkiwwik |website=in.nba.com |access-date=March 23, 2019 |date=March 22, 2019}}</ref> but were swept in the first round of the [[2019 NBA playoffs|2019 playoffs]] by the [[Boston Celtics]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2019-nba-playoffs-celtics-vs-pacers-first-round-series-results-boston-completes-sweep-of-indiana/|title=2019 NBA Playoffs Celtics vs. Pacers first-round series results: Boston completes sweep of Indiana|work=CBS Sports|last=Kaskey-Blomain|first=Michael|date=April 22, 2019|access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

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 acquisitions [[Malcolm Brogdon]], [[T. J. Warren]], and [[Jeremy Lamb]], who was slated to become a top reserve once all-star guard Victor Oladipo returned from injury.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/IND/2020_transactions.html|title=2019-20 Indiana Pacers Transactions|publisher=Basketball Reference|access-date=December 1, 2022}}</ref> The Pacers also signed reserves [[T. J. McConnell]] and [[Justin Holiday]], with [[Justin Holiday|Holiday]] joining his younger brother [[Aaron Holiday]] on the team. The Pacers also saw three players with the name "T. J." take the court in [[T. J. McConnell|McConnell]], [[T. J. Warren|Warren]], and [[T. J. Leaf|Leaf]]. 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 an [[2020 NBA All-Star Game|NBA All-Star]] for the first time in his career.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonyeast/2020/02/05/indiana-pacers-nba-all-star-domantas-sabonis/?sh=559a207c1199|title=The Indiana Pacers Are Well Represented At All-Star Weekend By Domantas Sabonis|date=February 5, 2020|work=Forbes|last=East|first=Tony|access-date=December 1, 2022}}</ref> Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to a foot injury and would miss the postseason.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/nba/2020/07/24/domantas-sabonis-foot-injury-nba-restart-orlando-bubble|title=Pacers C Domantas Sabonis Has 'Significant' Foot Injury, to Leave Bubble for Treatment|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=July 24, 2020|access-date=December 1, 2022|last=Selbe|first=Nick}}</ref>

Following the [[suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season]], the Pacers were one of the 22 teams invited to the [[2020 NBA Bubble|NBA Bubble]] to participate in the final eight games of the regular season. The Pacers would finish the [[2019–20 NBA season|2019–20 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29645044/sources-pacers-coach-nate-mcmillan-agrees-contract-extension|title=Pacers coach Nate McMillan agrees to 1-year contract extension|date=August 12, 2020|access-date=December 7, 2022|last=Wojnarowski|first=Adrian|work=ESPN}}</ref> 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 their [[2019–20 NBA season|2019–20 season]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/article/2020/06/04/board-of-governors-approves-nba-return-official-release|title = NBA Board of Governors approves competitive format to restart 2019-20 season with 22 teams returning to play| website=[[NBA.com]]}}</ref>

Following the loss to the Heat, the Pacers parted ways with head coach Nate McMillan, despite the recent extension.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pacers fire coach Nate McMillan after 4 seasons on job|url=https://www.nba.com/news/pacers-fire-coach-nate-mcmillan|access-date=October 20, 2020|website=NBA.com|publisher=NBA|date=August 26, 2020}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 20, 2020|title=Sources: Pacers to hire Bjorkgren as head coach|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30154580/sources-indiana-pacers-hire-nate-bjorkgren-head-coach|access-date=October 20, 2020|website=ESPN.com}}</ref> On January 16, 2021, [[Victor Oladipo]] was traded to the [[Houston Rockets]] as a part of a four-team deal that sent [[James Harden]] to the [[Brooklyn Nets]] and [[Caris LeVert]] to Indiana.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rockets Announce Revised Four-Team Trade|url=https://www.nba.com/rockets/news/rockets-announce-revised-four-team-trade|website=NBA.com|access-date=January 16, 2021|date=January 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Pacers Acquire Caris LeVert|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/pacers-acquire-caris-levert|website=NBA.com|access-date=January 16, 2021}}</ref> Sabonis would go on to earn his second [[2021 NBA All-Star Game|NBA All-Star]] appearance during the [[2020–21 NBA season|2020–21 season]]. The team also signed [[Oshae Brissett]] this year. The season would end in the 2021 [[NBA play-in tournament]] in a loss to the [[Washington Wizards]]. After missing the [[2021 NBA Playoffs]], and amid reported locker room tension, the Pacers fired Bjorkgren on June 9, 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/nba/news/why-the-pacers-fired-coach-nate-bjorkgren/1pva9s4w9qjff1ubjhf163yv8n|title=Why the Pacers fired coach Nate Bjorkgren after just one season|work=Sporting News|date=June 10, 2021|access-date=December 1, 2022|last=Camenker|first=Jacob}}</ref>

===2021–present: Return of Rick Carlisle===
On June 24, 2021, the Pacers announced that they had reached an agreement with former [[Dallas Mavericks]] coach [[Rick 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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pacers Reach Agreement with Rick Carlisle to Become Head Coach|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/pacers-reach-agreement-rick-carlisle-become-head-coach|access-date=June 28, 2021|website=Indiana Pacers}}</ref> The team also hired former [[Charlotte Hornets]] assistant and Indiana-native [[Ronald Nored]] as well as former [[Atlanta Hawks]] head coach [[Lloyd Pierce]] to serve as lead assistant to Carlisle.<ref name="Pacers Hire Four Assistant Coaches">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/pacers-hire-four-assistant-coaches|title=Pacers Hire Four Assistant Coaches|work=NBA.com|date=July 16, 2021|access-date=July 16, 2021}}</ref> The arrival of Carlisle also brought over [[Jenny Boucek]] and [[Mike Weinar]], both formerly serving with the [[Dallas Mavericks]].<ref name="Pacers Hire Four Assistant Coaches"/> Boucek served as the [[List of female NBA coaches|first female assistant coach]] for the Pacers franchise. In the [[2021 NBA draft]], the Pacers selected [[Chris Duarte (basketball)|Chris Duarte]] with the 13th pick and traded up for the 22nd pick, [[Isaiah Jackson (basketball)|Isaiah Jackson]]. Duarte was selected to the 2022 [[NBA All-Rookie Team|NBA All-Rookie]] Second Team.

====2022–present: The Tyrese Haliburton era====
The Pacers failed to qualify for the [[2022 NBA Playoffs]] with a record of 25–57 in the [[2021–22 NBA season]], which marks the first time the team failed to reach the playoffs for consecutive seasons since 2007–10.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/standings?Season=2021-22|title=NBA 2021-22 Regular Season Standings|work=NBA|access-date=December 7, 2022}}</ref> The [[2021–22 NBA season|2021–22 season]] also saw fan-favorite [[Lance Stephenson]] serve his third stint with the Pacers franchise. During the season, the Pacers traded away core players including [[Domantas Sabonis]], [[Caris LeVert]], [[Justin Holiday]], [[Jeremy Lamb]], and [[Malcolm Brogdon]] between seasons. In return, the Pacers notably received multiple first-round draft picks, sharpshooter [[Buddy Hield]], veterans [[Daniel Theis]] and [[Tristan Thompson]], as well as young stars [[Tyrese Haliburton]], [[Jalen Smith]] and [[Aaron Nesmith]], all [[NBA draft lottery|lottery picks]] in the [[2020 NBA draft]].

The team would go on to draft [[Bennedict Mathurin]] sixth overall in the [[2022 NBA draft]] along with standout second-round pick [[Andrew Nembhard]]. Mathurin was the Pacers' highest pick the franchise has owned since selecting [[Rik Smits]] second overall in the [[1988 NBA draft]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 3, 2022 |title=Indiana Pacers Facing Their Most Important NBA draft in Decades |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonyeast/2022/06/22/indiana-pacers-facing-their-most-important-nba-draft-in-decades/?sh=252a0c871c2c|access-date=July 3, 2022 |website=Forbes.com}}</ref> On January 31, 2023, both Mathurin and Nembhard were named [[NBA Rising Stars Challenge|2023 NBA Rising Stars]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard named NBA Rising Stars for All-Star Weekend |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2023/01/31/pacers-bennedict-mathurin-andrew-nembhard-named-nba-rising-stars/69858891007/ |website=IndyStar.com |access-date=January 31, 2023 |date=January 31, 2023}}</ref> [[Tyrese Haliburton]] was also selected to his first ever [[2023 NBA All-Star Game|NBA All-Star Game]] in 2023 as a reserve guard for the [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2023 NBA All-Star reserves revealed |url=https://www.nba.com/news/2023-all-star-reserves-announced |access-date=February 3, 2023 |website=NBA.com}}</ref> Both [[Tyrese Haliburton]] and [[Buddy Hield]] were selected to participate in the 2023 NBA Three-Point Contest.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2023 Starry 3-Point Contest|url=https://www.nba.com/news/2023-3-point-contest |access-date=February 17, 2023 |website=NBA.com}}</ref> At the 2023 [[Trade (sports)|trade deadline]], the team acquired three future second round picks, [[Jordan Nwora]], [[Serge Ibaka]], as well as Indiana-native and former Pacer, [[George Hill (basketball)|George Hill]] in exchange for the draft rights to [[Juan Pablo Vaulet]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indiana Pacers Acquire Jordan Nwora, George Hill, and Serge Ibaka, and Multiple Second-Round Picks |url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/pacers-acquire-jordan-nwora-george-hill-serge-ibaka-multiple-draft-picks |access-date=February 9, 2023 |website=NBA}}</ref> On March 25, against the [[Atlanta Hawks]], Jordan Nwora posted his Pacers season-high 33 points and added six rebounds, scoring 25 of his 33 points in the second quarter, setting the Pacers regular season franchise record for most points in a quarter since tracking began in the [[1996–97 NBA season]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explodes for 33 points in loss |url=https://www.foxsports.com/nba/jordan-nwora-player |access-date=March 25, 2023 |website=FOXSports.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Collins leads deep Hawks attack in 143-130 win over Pacers |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/401469262 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=May 25, 2025 |date=May 25, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jordan Nwora set the regular-season franchise record for most points in a quarter with 25 points in the second quarter tonight. |url=https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1639753146464362496 |access-date=March 25, 2023 |website=Twitter.com}}</ref> At the conclusion of the season, [[Bennedict Mathurin]] passed [[Chris Duarte (basketball)|Chris Duarte]] for most three-pointers made as a rookie in Pacers franchise history.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pacers' Bennedict Mathurin: Nears double-double in defeat |url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/basketball/news/pacers-bennedict-mathurin-nears-double-double-in-defeat/ |website=CBSSports.com |access-date=March 28, 2023 |date=March 28, 2023}}</ref> Additionally, [[Buddy Hield]] broke [[Reggie Miller]]'s record of most three-pointers made in a season in Pacers history. Furthermore, [[Bennedict Mathurin]] finished fourth in the 2023 [[NBA Rookie of the Year Award]] voting<ref>{{cite web |title=2023 NBA Rookie of the Year Voting |website=[[Associated Press News]] |date=April 25, 2023 |url=https://apnews.com/article/sports-35b9793aef42d37b116bf3e90a1f8e36}}</ref> and earned [[NBA All-Rookie Team]] honors.<ref>{{cite web |title=2022-23 Kia NBA All-Rookie teams |website=[[NBA.com]] |url=https://www.nba.com/news/2022-23-all-rookie-teams-announced}}</ref>

Following a 35–47 record in the [[2022–23 NBA season|2022–23 season]], the [[2023 NBA draft]] saw the Pacers select [[Bilal Coulibaly]] seventh overall. The [[Washington Wizards]] selected [[Jarace Walker]] with the eighth overall pick and immediately traded him to the Pacers along with two future second-round picks for the draft rights to [[Bilal Coulibaly]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wallace |first1=Ava |title=Wizards, with eye on long–term future, take French project Bilal Coulibaly |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/06/22/bilal-coulibaly-wizards-draft/ |access-date=June 23, 2023 |agency=Washington Post |date=June 23, 2023}}</ref> Following several draft-day trades, the Pacers walked away with the eighth pick [[Jarace Walker]], the 26th pick [[Ben Sheppard (basketball)|Ben Sheppard]], the 47th pick [[Mojave King]], and the 55th pick [[Isaiah Wong]]. On July 1, 2023, [[Jarace Walker]] signed his rookie contract with the Pacers alongside [[Ben Sheppard (basketball)|Ben Sheppard]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Pacers Sign Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard |url=https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/07/pacers-sign-jarace-walker-ben-sheppard.html |access-date=July 1, 2023 |agency=HoopsRumors |date=July 1, 2023}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Report: Tyrese Haliburton agrees to max contract extension with Pacers |url=https://www.nba.com/news/tyrese-haliburton-2023-free-agency |access-date=July 1, 2023 |website=NBA.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Report: Tyrese Haliburton max contract extension details with Pacers, explained |url=https://clutchpoints.com/pacers-news-tyrese-haliburton-max-extension-contract-details |access-date=July 6, 2023 |website=ClutchPoints.com |date=July 5, 2023}}</ref> It was also announced that Haliburton would represent the [[United States men's national basketball team|United States men's national team]] at the [[2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Report: USA FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 roster: Anthony Edwards, Paolo Banchero headline US men's team |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/team-usa-fiba-basketball-world-cup-2023-roster/iuikgk3hhiplytsuy6bsv8sx |access-date=July 6, 2023 |website=TheSportingNews.com |date=July 6, 2023}}</ref> The same day, the team announced they had signed [[Bruce Brown (basketball)|Bruce Brown]] to a two-year, $45 million contract.<ref>{{cite web |title=NBA champ Bruce Brown signs with Pacers |url=https://www.nba.com/news/bruce-brown-2023-free-agency |website=NBA |access-date=May 25, 2025 |date=July 6, 2023}}</ref>

During the 2023 off-season, the Pacers made several acquisitions including trading away [[Chris Duarte (basketball)|Chris Duarte]] to the [[Sacramento Kings]] in exchange for two future second-round picks.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kings acquiring Pacers' Chris Duarte for picks, sources say |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/37970802/kings-acquiring-pacers-chris-duarte-picks-sources-say |access-date=July 6, 2023 |agency=ESPN |date=July 6, 2023}}</ref> [[Oshae Brissett]] left the Pacers to sign a contract with the [[Boston Celtics]] while the team decided against bringing back veteran [[George Hill (basketball)|George Hill]] but later re-signed [[James Johnson (basketball, born 1987)|James Johnson]]. In addition, the Pacers acquired [[Obi Toppin]], the eighth overall pick in the [[2020 NBA draft]], from the [[New York Knicks]] in exchange for two future second-round picks.<ref>{{cite news |title=Report: Knicks trading Obi Toppin to Pacers |url=https://www.nba.com/news/knicks-trade-obi-toppin-to-pacers |access-date=July 6, 2023 |agency=NBA.com |date=July 1, 2023}}</ref> On the Pacers, Toppin joined [[Jalen Smith]], [[Tyrese Haliburton]], [[Aaron Nesmith]], and Jordan Nwora, all selected in the [[2020 NBA draft]]. The same off-season, the team announced they had lost [[Ronald Nored]] to an assistant coaching position with the [[Atlanta Hawks]], while simultaneously rehiring former Pacers assistant and [[Chicago Bulls]] head coach [[Jim Boylen]] to replace Nored, who had been previously serving as a Pacers consultant.<ref>{{cite news |title=Indiana Pacers coaching staff undergoes changes ahead of 2023-24 season |url=https://www.si.com/nba/pacers/news/indiana-pacers-coaching-staff-undergoes-changes-2023-24-season |access-date=July 5, 2023 |agency=SportsIllustrated |date=July 2, 2023}}</ref> The team also hired former Pacer player [[Shayne Whittington]] as an assistant to Carlisle. In a surprising move, the Pacers brought back [[Larry Bird]] to serve as a consultant, returning to the franchise for the first time since July 2022.<ref>{{cite news |title=Larry Bird returns to help Pacers. Fans have opinions on that, some nice, some not so nice |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2023/06/01/larry-bird-returns-to-indiana-pacers-as-a-consultant/70275671007/ |access-date=July 7, 2023 |agency=IndyStar.com |date=June 1, 2023}}</ref>

The Pacers were particularly successful in the [[2023 NBA In-Season Tournament]], beating the [[Boston Celtics]] and [[Milwaukee Bucks]] en route to reaching the In-Season Tournament finals against the [[Los Angeles Lakers]], where they lost 123–109.<ref name="cup">{{Cite news |newspaper=[[Indianapolis Star]] |date=December 9, 2023 |access-date=December 10, 2023 |first=Dustin |last=Dopirak |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2023/12/09/pacers-vs-lakers-lebron-james-anthony-davis-overpower-pacers-in-ist/71857629007/ |department=Sports |issn=1930-2533 |title=Anthony Davis posts 41 points, 20 rebounds to beat Pacers in IST final}}</ref>

On January 17, 2024, it was reported that the Pacers acquired All-Star forward [[Pascal Siakam]] in a three-team deal with the [[Toronto Raptors]] and [[New Orleans Pelicans]], where the Pacers gave up [[Bruce Brown (basketball)|Bruce Brown]], Jordan Nwora, and three future first-round picks for Siakam.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/39330081/sources-pacers-acquire-pascal-siakam-trade-raptors-pelicans|title=Pacers acquire Pascal Siakam in trade with Raptors, Pelicans|website=ESPN|date=January 17, 2024|access-date=February 19, 2024}}</ref> On January 25, 2024, Siakam earned his first win as a Pacer in a 134–122 victory against the [[Philadelphia 76ers]], also recording his first triple double of the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/401585255|title=Pascal Siakam has triple-double, Pacers end 76ers' winning streak at six with 134-122 victory|website=ESPN|date=January 25, 2024|access-date=February 19, 2024}}</ref> That same day, Haliburton was named an [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]] starting guard for the [[2024 NBA All-Star Game]], which was played in Indianapolis. This marked his second consecutive All-Star selection and his first selection as a starter.<ref>{{cite web |title=2024 NBA All-Star starters announced |url=https://www.nba.com/news/2024-nba-all-star-starters-announced |website=NBA.com |access-date=January 27, 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Tyrese Haliburton (51923778880) (cropped).jpg|thumb|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.<ref>{{cite web |title=2023-24 Indiana Pacers Roster and Stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/IND/2024.html |website=Basketball Reference |access-date=20 May 2024}}</ref> In the first round they faced the third seed [[Milwaukee Bucks]], who were without star player [[Giannis Antetokounmpo]] due to injury. The Pacers won the series 4–2, with second star [[Damian Lillard]] also missing time for the Bucks.<ref>{{cite web |title=2024 NBA Eastern Conference First Round Pacers vs. Bucks |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2024-nba-eastern-conference-first-round-pacers-vs-bucks.html |website=Basketball Reference |access-date=20 May 2024}}</ref> In the conference semifinals, the Pacers faced the second seed [[New York Knicks]].<ref>{{cite web |title=2024 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals Pacers vs. Knicks |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2024-nba-eastern-conference-semifinals-pacers-vs-knicks.html |website=Basketball Reference |access-date=20 May 2024}}</ref> The Knicks had their own injury issues, with starting forward [[Julius Randle]] and role-player [[Bojan 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 lost [[OG 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.<ref name="espn.com">{{cite web |title=Scorching hot Pacers set playoff mark in Game 7 rout of Knicks |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40181122/scorching-hot-pacers-set-playoff-mark-game-7-rout-knicks |website=[[ESPN]] |date=May 19, 2024 |access-date=20 May 2024}}</ref> They were then beaten by Boston.

On March 27, 2025, the Pacers defeated the Washington Wizards 162–109, breaking their NBA scoring record.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pacers score franchise-record 162, rout Wizards |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/44436227/pacers-score-franchise-record-162-points-rout-wizards |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=ESPN.com |date=2025-03-28}}</ref>

The Pacers ended the [[2024–25 NBA season|2024–2025]] season as the 4th seed winning 50 games and qualifying for the playoffs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024-25 NBA Season Summary |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2025.html |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> They faced the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and beat them in 5 games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2025 NBA Playoffs First Round: Pacers vs. Bucks |url=https://www.nba.com/playoffs/2025/east-first-round-4 |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=NBA |language=en}}</ref> They entered the second round playing against the 1st seed Cleveland Cavaliers. They beat the Cavaliers in 5 games,<ref>{{Cite web |title=2025 Playoffs: East Semifinal {{!}} CLE (1) vs. IND (4) {{!}} NBA.com |url=https://www.nba.com/playoffs/2025/east-semifinal-1 |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=NBA |language=en}}</ref> advancing to the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks. They won in 6 games<ref>{{Cite web |title=2025 Playoffs: East Final: NYK (3) vs. IND (4) {{!}} NBA.com |url=https://www.nba.com/playoffs/2025/east-final |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=NBA |language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks May 21, 2025 Game Summary |url=https://www.nba.com/game/ind-vs-nyk-0042400301 |access-date=2025-06-24 |website=NBA |language=en}}</ref> The Pacers got to their [[2025 NBA Finals|2nd 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 the [[NBA Finals, 2016|2016 NBA Finals]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2025 Playoffs: East Final: NYK (3) vs. IND (4) {{!}} NBA.com |url=https://www.nba.com/playoffs/2025/nba-finals |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=NBA |language=en}}</ref>

==Home arenas==

===Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum (1967–1974)===
The [[Indiana 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 the [[Los Angeles Stars]] in six games, in 1971–72, defeating the [[New York Nets]] in six games, and in the 1972–73 season, defeating the [[Kentucky Colonels]] in seven games. The team moved to [[Market Square Arena]] in 1974. In 1976, the Pacers became a franchise in the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) when the ABA merged with the NBA.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.remembertheaba.com/Indiana-Pacers.html|title=Remember the ABA: Indiana Pacers|website=www.remembertheaba.com}}</ref>

===Market Square Arena (1974–1999)===
[[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 the [[Milwaukee Bucks]]; attendance was 16,929. The first regular-season ABA game in the arena was held on October 18, 1974, against the [[San 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 and [[Freedom Hall]] against their archrivals, the [[Kentucky 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 the [[Boston Celtics]] on October 21, 1976. [[Michael Jordan]]'s return to the [[Chicago Bulls]] after his first retirement took place at Market Square Arena in a loss to the Pacers on March 19, 1995.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jumpman23.ch/joc_10_mj_02.jpg |format=JPG |title=Basketball photograph |publisher=Jumpman23.ch |access-date=May 9, 2015 |archive-date=February 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212190850/http://www.jumpman23.ch/joc_10_mj_02.jpg |url-status=dead}}</ref> The final Pacers game to be played in Market Square Arena was a pre-season exhibition game against the [[Utah Jazz]] on October 23, 1999.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/2001/07/08/Market-Square-Arena-torn-down/8905994564800/|title=Market Square Arena torn down|work=United Press International|date=July 8, 2001|access-date=December 12, 2022|location=Indianapolis}}</ref>

===Conseco, Bankers Life, and Gainbridge Fieldhouse (1999–present)===
[[File:Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianápolis, Estados Unidos, 2012-10-22, DD 02.jpg|thumb|Bankers Life Fieldhouse in 2012.]]
The Indiana Pacers play their home games at [[Gainbridge Fieldhouse]], which opened in 1999. Gainbridge Fieldhouse is located in downtown [[Indianapolis]] and is owned and operated by the Capital Improvement Board, City of [[Indianapolis]] and its groundbreaking was on July 22, 1997, by [[Ellerbe 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/cfh_rankings_061206.html|title=Conseco Fieldhouse Ranked No. 1 Sports Venue|publisher=NBA|date=December 6, 2006|access-date=November 30, 2022|work=Indiana Pacers}}</ref> 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 the [[Indiana Fever]] of the [[Women's National Basketball Association]] (WNBA), who are also owned by [[Herb Simon (businessman)|Herb Simon]] via Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E).

It hosted the [[Big Ten men's basketball tournament]] in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008–2012, 2014, 2016, 2022, and 2025. Gainbridge has been the home to the [[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament venues|NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament]] in 2017, 2021, 2022, and 2024. Previously, the men's tournament was held at Market Square Arena in 1978 and 1982. Furthermore, the stadium hosted the [[NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament]] in 2011, 2016, and 2028. The Fieldhouse also hosted the [[2024 NBA All-Star Game|2024 NBA All-Star Weekend]]. It hosts concerts and philanthropic events as well.

==Logos and uniforms==
The Indiana Pacers colors are (navy) blue, yellow (gold), cool gray and white.<ref name="PacersLogosheet" /> The original team colors of blue and yellow, using a more medium shade of blue, came from the [[flag of Indiana]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Pacers Announce 50th Season Celebration|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/pacers-announce-50th-season-celebration|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=June 16, 2016|access-date=October 12, 2025|quote=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.}}</ref>

===ABA years===
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.<ref name=PacersJerseys>{{cite web|title=Pacers Jerseys Through The Years|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/gallery/pacers-jerseys-through-years|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|access-date=November 1, 2025}}</ref>

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.<ref name=PacersJerseys/>

===1976–1990===
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.<ref name=PacersJerseys/>

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.<ref name=PacersJerseys/>

===1990–1997: FloJos===
Midway through the 1989–90 season, the Pacers introduced a new uniform that would debut the following season. Designed by track and field star [[Florence Griffith Joyner]], the uniform featured a darker navy blue and deeper yellow palette, and incorporated a [[Helvetica]]-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.<ref name=PacersJerseys/><ref>{{cite web|title=The Story Behind the Flo-Jo's|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/story-behind-flo-jos|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=January 30, 2015|access-date=November 1, 2025}}</ref>

===1997–2005: Pinstripes===
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.<ref name=PacersJerseys/>

===2005–2017: Post-Miller era===
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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Brunner|first=Conrad|title=New Look For New Generation|url=http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/uniform_release_050929.html|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=September 29, 2005|access-date=June 29, 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref name=PacersJerseys/>

====Hoosiers uniform====
On July 21, 2015, the Indiana Pacers, in collaboration with [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios]], unveiled a new uniform based on the 1986 motion picture ''[[Hoosiers (film)|Hoosiers]]''. 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 the [[2015–16 NBA season|2015–16 season]]. It is the first time a [[Major professional sports teams of the United States and Canada|major North American pro sports team]] wore a uniform based on a film.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Pacers Bring "Hoosiers" Inspired Uniform to NBA|url=http://www.nba.com/pacers/metro-goldwyn-mayer-studios-pacers-bring-hoosiers-inspired-uniform-nba|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=July 21, 2015|access-date=July 21, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Creamer|first=Chris|title=Indiana Pacers Unveil New Hoosiers Uniforms|url=http://news.sportslogos.net/2015/07/21/indiana-pacers-unveil-new-hoosiers-uniforms/|publisher=SportsLogos.net|date=July 21, 2015|access-date=July 21, 2015}}</ref>

===2017–present: Nike era===
The Indiana Pacers unveiled new uniforms and logos to coincide with the NBA's uniform contract with [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] 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.<ref name="PacersNewLook" /> 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Refreshed Statement Uniform Showcases Pacers History|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/refreshed-statement-uniform-showcases-pacers-history|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=October 11, 2019|access-date=November 1, 2025}}</ref>

===="City" and "Earned" uniforms====
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 to [[IndyCar]] racing history.<ref>{{cite news|title=City Edition Uniforms Speak to Soul of Pacers History|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/city-edition-uniforms-speak-soul-pacers-history|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=December 26, 2017|access-date=November 1, 2025}}</ref> A white and navy blue version of the uniform served as its "City" uniform in the 2019–20 season.<ref>{{cite news|title=New City Edition Uniforms Offer Refreshed Take on Rich Racing Tradition|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/2019-city-edition-uniforms-refreshed-take-rich-racing-tradition|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=November 21, 2019|access-date=November 1, 2025}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news|title=City Edition Uniforms Tell a Story of Speed|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/city-edition-uniforms-tell-story-speed|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=November 7, 2018|access-date=November 1, 2025}}</ref> A white version served as its "Earned" uniform that season as a reward for making the NBA playoffs the previous year.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nike Unveils Earned Edition Uniforms for Playoff Teams|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/nike-unveils-earned-edition-uniforms-playoff-teams|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=December 12, 2018|access-date=November 1, 2025}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Indiana Pacers Unveil 2020-21 City Edition Uniforms|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/indiana-pacers-unveil-2020-21-city-edition-uniforms|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=December 1, 2020|access-date=November 1, 2025}}</ref> This design with a yellow base and navy blue pinstripes was used as its "Earned" uniform that season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pacers Unveil 2020-21 Earned Edition Uniform|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/pacers-unveil-2020-21-earned-edition-uniform|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=March 10, 2021|access-date=November 1, 2025}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pacers Nike 21-22 City Edition Uniforms Are a Mixtape of Iconic Moments|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/pacers-nike-21-22-city-edition-uniforms-are-mixtape-iconic-moments|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=November 1, 2021|access-date=November 1, 2025}}</ref> This design was reused in the 2025–26 season, but recolored to a white base and the original shades of royal blue and yellow.<ref>{{cite news|title=2025–26 Indiana Pacers Moments Mixtape|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/city|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=November 11, 2025|access-date=November 13, 2025}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Indiana Pacers 22/23 City Edition Uniform: Built for Basketball|url=https://www.nba.com/news/indiana-pacers-city-edition|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=NBA.com|date=November 10, 2022|access-date=November 1, 2025}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Indiana Pacers Nike NBA 23-24 CITY EDITION Uniforms Shine a Light on Indy's Talent, Confidence, and Culture|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/indiana-pacers-nike-nba-23-24-city-edition-uniforms-shine-a-light-on-indys-talent-confidence-and-culture|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Pacers.com|date=November 2, 2023|access-date=November 1, 2025}}</ref> A white version was worn as their "City" uniform the following season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Indiana Pacers 2024-25 City Edition Uniform: Turning the lights on Indy|url=https://www.nba.com/news/indiana-pacers-2024-25-city-edition-uniform|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=NBA.com|date=November 14, 2024|access-date=November 1, 2025}}</ref>

==Rivalries==

===Detroit Pistons===
{{Further|Malice at the Palace}}
The Pacers and Pistons met for the first time in the [[1990 NBA playoffs|1990 Playoffs]]; the Pistons swept the Pacers in three straight games on their way to their [[1990 NBA Finals|second straight NBA championship]]. But the rivalry truly began in the 2000s, specifically during the [[2003–04 NBA season|2003–04 season]]. The Pacers finished with a league-best 61 wins and were led by [[Jermaine O'Neal]], [[Ron Artest]], and [[Reggie Miller]], and coached by [[Rick Carlisle]]. Carlisle had been fired by Detroit at the end of the previous season. Detroit was led by [[Chauncey Billups]], [[Ben Wallace (basketball)|Ben Wallace]], [[Rasheed Wallace]], [[Tayshaun Prince]], and [[Richard Hamilton (basketball)|Richard Hamilton]], and coached by former Pacers head coach [[Larry Brown (basketball)|Larry 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 after [[Rasheed 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, at [[The Palace of Auburn Hills]], what has become known as the [[Malice at the Palace]] took place. Nine players were suspended for varying lengths after a violent altercation in the stands.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kurtz |first=Jeffrey B. |date=April 2019 |title=With Malice Towards All? Moral Authority, Violence, and the (Affective) Discipline of Basketball (Bodies) |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2167479517747870 |journal=Communication & Sport |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=157–175 |doi=10.1177/2167479517747870 |s2cid=148725283 |issn=2167-4795|url-access=subscription }}</ref> 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 in [[Indianapolis]]. 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.

===New York Knicks===
{{Further|Knicks–Pacers rivalry}}
The [[Knicks–Pacers rivalry|Knicks–Pacers Rivalry]] has been heavily documented since [[1976–77 NBA season|1977]]. During the 1990s, the Knicks and Pacers were perennial playoff teams. They met in the playoffs six times from [[1993 NBA playoffs|1993]] to [[2000 NBA playoffs|2000]], fueling a rivalry epitomized by the enmity between [[Reggie Miller]] and prominent Knick fan [[Spike Lee]]. The rivalry was likened by Miller to the [[Hatfield–McCoy feud]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Clifton|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B06E4DB143AF937A15752C0A961958260&scp=2&sq=knicks+pacers+rivalry&st=nyt&pagewanted=print|title=Give Miller a Hand? Not in This Rivalry|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 24, 1997|access-date=January 27, 2008|quote=Reggie Miller compares the Knicks–Indiana Pacers rivalry to the Hatfields vs. the McCoys.}}</ref> and described by ''[[The New York Times]]'', in 1998 as being "as combustible as any in the league".<ref>{{cite news|last=Wise|first=Mike|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E04E5DD1631F936A35756C0A96E958260&scp=1&sq=knicks+pacers+rivalry&st=nyt&pagewanted=print|title=THE N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; For Combustibility, It's Knicks–Pacers|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 5, 1998|access-date=January 27, 2008|quote=From head-butts to hideous trash talk, from Miller versus John Starks, the Pacers–Knicks rivalry has been as combustible as any in the league.}}</ref> During those years, the Pacers were led by a core of [[Reggie Miller]], [[Rik Smits]], [[Mark Jackson]], [[Jalen Rose]], [[Chris Mullin]], [[Dale Davis (basketball)|Dale Davis]], [[Antonio Davis]], [[Derrick McKey]], [[Detlef Schrempf]], and others. On the other hand, the Knicks consistently built teams around [[Patrick Ewing]], [[John Starks]], [[Charles Oakley]], [[Allan Houston]], [[Larry Johnson (basketball, born 1969)|Larry Johnson]], [[Latrell Sprewell]], as well as former Pacer legend [[Herb Williams]].

The Knicks and Pacers next met in the [[2013 NBA playoffs|2013 Eastern Conference semifinals]] with the Pacers upsetting the New York Knicks 4–2. This series included Pacers [[2013 NBA All–Star Game|All–Star]] [[Paul George]], [[David West (basketball)|David West]], [[Roy Hibbert]], [[George Hill (basketball)|George Hill]], [[Lance Stephenson]], [[Tyler Hansbrough]], [[Gerald Green]], [[Ian Mahinmi]], and [[D. J. Augustin]]. The Knicks consisted of [[2013 NBA All–Star Game|All-Star]] [[Carmelo Anthony]], [[J. R. Smith]], [[Raymond Felton]], [[Tyson Chandler]], [[Jason Kidd]], [[Iman Shumpert]], [[Rasheed Wallace]], [[Kenyon Martin]], and [[Marcus Camby]]. The Pacers battled without [[2009 NBA All–Star Game|All-Star]] forward [[Danny Granger]] as he sustained a season-ending injury, while Knicks [[2011 NBA All–Star Game|All-Star]] big-man [[Amar'e Stoudemire]] also experienced limited playing-time due to injury. Following the season, [[Chris Copeland]] left the Knicks to sign with the Pacers.

The Knicks and Pacers would again meet in the [[2024 NBA playoffs|2024 Eastern Conference semifinals]]. The Pacers were now led by [[2024 NBA All–Star Game|All-Star]] point guard [[Tyrese Haliburton]], joined by [[Myles Turner]], [[Pascal Siakam]], [[Aaron Nesmith]] and [[Andrew Nembhard]] in the starting lineup. The "Nova Knicks" in turn were led by their own [[2024 NBA All–Star Game|All-Star]] point guard, [[Jalen Brunson]], while other key players included [[Julius Randle]], [[OG Anunoby]], [[Mitchell Robinson]], [[Donte DiVincenzo]] and [[Josh 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.<ref name="espn.com"/>

===Miami Heat===
The two franchises first met in the [[2004 NBA playoffs]], when Indiana won 4–2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Indiana was seen as title contenders, having the first seed in the [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]], and the [[List of National Basketball Association seasons|best record in the league]], led by [[Reggie Miller]], [[Jermaine O'Neal]], [[Ron Artest]], and [[Al Harrington]]. The Heat were led by rookie [[Dwyane Wade]], [[Lamar Odom]], [[Eddie Jones (basketball)|Eddie Jones]], and [[Caron Butler]], with this being Wade's first ever playoff experience. The Pacers would go on to lose in six games in the [[NBA Conference Finals|Eastern Conference finals]] to the eventual [[2004 NBA Finals|2004 NBA champion]] [[Detroit Pistons]]. Following the [[2003–04 NBA season]], and before meeting again in [[2012 NBA playoffs|2012]], Indiana remained competitive in the [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]], while Miami would win their first ever championship in [[2006 NBA Finals|2006]] after acquiring [[Shaquille O'Neal]].

A true rivalry with the [[Miami Heat]] was triggered in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the [[2012 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, while [[Erik 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's [[Chris Bosh]] was sidelined with an abdominal strain. Powered by [[LeBron James]] and [[Dwyane Wade]], Miami won three straight games to take the series, 4–2 and later become [[2012 NBA Finals|2012 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 with [[Darren Collison]] in transition, [[Juwan Howard]] confronting [[Lance Stephenson]] over the latter's flashing of the choke sign to James, and [[Dexter Pittman]] elbowing Stephenson in the neck (which led to his own three-game suspension). Indiana's [[Danny 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 by [[Roy Hibbert]].

The following season saw improvements for both teams, from Miami's acquisitions of [[Ray Allen]] and [[Chris Andersen]], to the emergence of [[Paul George]] and [[Lance Stephenson]] in the absence of [[Danny 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 the [[New York Knicks]], the Pacers' fans were chanting "Beat The Heat" as their team beat their old [[Knicks–Pacers rivalry|New York rivals]]. True to form, the Heat and the Pacers met in the conference finals of the [[2013 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 with [[David West (basketball)|David 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 becoming [[2013 NBA Finals|2013 NBA champions]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/games/20130603/INDMIA/gameinfo.html?ls=pot |title=Pacers at Heat – June 3, 2013 – Game Preview, Play by Play, Scores and Recap on |work=Nba.com |access-date=July 1, 2013}}</ref>

In the [[2014 NBA playoffs]], the Pacers and Heat renewed their rivalry in a second consecutive [[NBA Conference Finals|Eastern Conference finals]] match up. Indiana entered the series with home court advantage, having earned the first seed in the [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]], with a 56–26 record during the [[2013–14 NBA season|2013–14 season]]. Indiana's core players from this series included [[Paul George]], [[David West (basketball)|David West]], [[Lance Stephenson]], [[George Hill (basketball)|George Hill]], [[Roy Hibbert]], and new acquisitions, [[Evan Turner]], [[Luis Scola]], and [[Andrew Bynum]]. Likewise, Miami's key players again consisted of [[LeBron James]], [[Dwyane Wade]], [[Chris Bosh]], [[Ray Allen]], [[Mario Chalmers]], as well as newcomers [[Greg Oden]] and [[Michael Beasley]]. Even though the Pacers were viewed as legitimate title contenders, Miami eliminated Indiana again, this time in six games.

In [[2022–23 NBA season|2023]], the last players active on either team was [[Udonis Haslem]] on the Heat and [[George Hill (basketball)|George Hill]] on the Pacers, who both competed in all three [[2012 NBA playoffs|2012]], [[2013 NBA playoffs|2013]], and [[2014 NBA playoffs|2014]] playoff series.

Indiana and Miami would meet again for the first time since [[2014 NBA playoffs|2014]] in the [[2020 NBA playoffs]] with the Heat sweeping the Pacers in the first round. Indiana was led by [[Victor Oladipo]], [[Malcolm Brogdon]], [[T.J. Warren]] and [[Myles Turner]]. The Heat were led by [[Jimmy Butler]], [[Bam Adebayo]], [[Goran Dragić]], and [[Tyler Herro]], who ended up reaching the [[2020 NBA Finals]]. Indiana sustained significant injuries preventing [[2020 NBA All-Star Game|All-Star]] [[Domantas Sabonis]] and [[Jeremy Lamb]] from playing in the [[2020 NBA Bubble]].

=== Milwaukee Bucks ===
While the franchises have been divisional rivals since [[1976–77 NBA season|1976]] (originally as part of the [[Midwest Division (NBA)|Midwest Division]], though both have since moved to the [[Central Division (NBA)|Central Division]]), it is only in recent years that the matchup has been described as a true rivalry.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-08-20 |title=Bucks vs. Pacers: Is It Really A Rivalry Now? |url=https://www.si.com/nba/bucks/news/bucks-vs-pacers-is-it-really-a-rivalry-now-01j5pa3fj6tz |access-date=2025-08-02 |website=Milwaukee Bucks On SI |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pavlović |first=Svetozar |date=2024-04-21 |title=The rivalry between the Bucks and the Pacers this season explained |url=https://en.as.com/nba/the-rivalry-between-the-bucks-and-the-pacers-this-season-explained-n/ |access-date=2025-08-02 |website=AS USA |language=en-us}}</ref> On December 7, 2023, the two teams met in [[Las Vegas|Las Vegas, Nevada]] during the semifinals of [[2023–24 NBA season|that season's]] inaugural [[2023 NBA In-Season Tournament|In-Season Tournament]]. While the Bucks led for most of the game, the Pacers staged a comeback in the fourth quarter, culminating in [[Tyrese Haliburton]] hitting a game-winning stepback 3-pointer over Bucks [[Center (basketball)|center]] [[Brook Lopez]]. Haliburton then tapped his wrist, mimicking Bucks [[Guard (basketball)|guard]] [[Damian Lillard]]'s iconic "Dame Time" celebration. The loss resulted in [[Bobby Portis]] later calling out former Bucks coach [[Adrian Griffin]] in the locker room, as well as his other teammates.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-11 |title=Bucks' Bobby Portis addresses reported criticism of Adrian Griffin after IST loss: 'I'm just a competitor' |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/bucks-bobby-portis-addresses-reported-criticism-of-adrian-griffin-after-ist-loss-im-just-a-competitor/ |access-date=2025-08-02 |website=CBSSports.com |language=en}}</ref>

Almost a week later, on December 13, the teams met at [[Fiserv Forum]] in Milwaukee, wherein Bucks franchise superstar [[Giannis Antetokounmpo]] scored a career-high 64 points. In the same game, Pacers rookie [[Oscar 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 coach [[Rick Carlisle]] also alleged a member of the Bucks of elbowing general manager [[Chad Buchanan (basketball)|Chad Buchanan]] in the ribs, though this was not confirmed and multiple Bucks players chose not to comment on it.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-14 |title=Inside bizarre, petty Bucks-Pacers feud: Giannis' ball search, 'fired up' dudes and a GM's bruised rib |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/inside-bizarre-petty-bucks-pacers-feud-giannis-ball-search-fired-up-dudes-and-a-gms-bruised-rib/ |access-date=2025-08-02 |website=CBSSports.com |language=en}}</ref>

The matchup intensified during the first round of the [[2024 NBA playoffs|2024 NBA Playoffs]], where the 3rd-seed Bucks had home-court advantage over the 6th-seed Pacers. The Pacers' core players included [[Tyrese Haliburton]], [[Pascal Siakam]], [[Myles Turner]], [[Bennedict Mathurin|Benedict Mathurin]], and [[Andrew Nembhard]]. The Bucks' core included [[Giannis Antetokounmpo]], [[Damian Lillard]], [[Khris Middleton]], [[Brook Lopez]], and [[Bobby Portis]]. The Bucks dealt with injury trouble throughout the series, with Antetokounmpo not playing the entire series and Lillard missing games 4 and 5. Despite missing key contributors, the Bucks were able to remain competitive, though in the end the Pacers won the series 4–2.

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 for [[Kyle Kuzma]] at the trade deadline and added [[Gary Trent Jr.]] in free agency. The Pacers had earned the 4th-seed and home-court advantage after going 50–32 in the [[2024–25 NBA season|regular 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 his [[achilles 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's [[2025 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]], but lost the [[Oklahoma 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 since [[2015–16 NBA season|2015]]) signed with the Bucks, who had lost veteran center [[Brook Lopez]] to the [[Los 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=East |first=Tony |title=Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers Didn't Align. So He Chose Milwaukee Bucks |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonyeast/2025/07/17/myles-turner-indiana-pacers-didnt-align-so-he-chose-milwaukee-bucks/ |access-date=2025-08-02 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>

==Season-by-season record==
''List of the last five seasons completed by the Pacers. For the full season-by-season history, see [[List of Indiana Pacers seasons]].''

'''''Note:''' GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage''
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Overview of recent Pacers seasons
|-
!scope="col" style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Season
!scope="col" style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"| GP
!scope="col" style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"| W
!scope="col" style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"| L
!scope="col" style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"| W–L%
!scope="col" style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"| Finish
!scope="col" style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"| Playoffs
|-
!scope="row" | [[2020–21 NBA season|2020–21]]
| 72 || 34 || 38 || {{Winning percentage|34|38}} || 2nd, Central || Did not qualify
|-
!scope="row" | [[2021–22 NBA season|2021–22]]
| 82 || 25 || 57 || {{Winning percentage|25|57}} || 4th, Central || Did not qualify
|-
!scope="row" | [[2022–23 NBA season|2022–23]]
| 82 || 35 || 47 || {{Winning percentage|35|47}} || 4th, Central || Did not qualify
|-
!scope="row" | [[2023–24 NBA season|2023–24]]
| 82 || 47 || 35 || {{Winning percentage|47|35}} || 3rd, Central || Lost in conference finals, 0–4 ([[Boston Celtics|Celtics]])
|-
!scope="row" | [[2024–25 NBA season|2024–25]]
| 82 || 50 || 32 || {{Winning percentage|50|32}} || 2nd, Central || Lost in [[2025 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]], 3–4 ([[Oklahoma City Thunder|Thunder]])
|}

==Personnel==
{{For|the complete list of Indiana Pacers players|Indiana Pacers all-time roster}}

===Current roster===
{{Indiana Pacers roster}}

===Retained draft rights===
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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm|title=NBA Salary Cap FAQ – 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement|quote=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.|first=Larry|last=Coon|author-link=Larry Coon|access-date=April 13, 2014}}</ref> This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams.

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:left;"
|+Retained draft rights of the Indiana Pacers
!scope="col" style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Draft
!scope="col" style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Round
!scope="col" style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Pick
!scope="col" style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Player
!scope="col" style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|{{abbr|Pos.|Position}}
!scope="col" style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Nationality
!scope="col" style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Current team
!scope="col" style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Note(s)
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|[[2023 NBA draft|2023]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Indiana Pacers Agree in Principle to Acquire Draft Rights to Jarace Walker|url=https://www.nba.com/pacers/news/indiana-pacers-agree-in-principle-to-acquire-draft-rights-to-jarace-walker-2|website=NBA.com|date=June 23, 2023|access-date=October 29, 2023}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|47
| {{sortname|Mojave|King}}
| style="text-align:center;"|G
| {{flagu|New Zealand}}
| [[New Zealand Breakers|BNZ Breakers]] ([[National Basketball League (Australia)|New Zealand]])
| Acquired from the [[Los Angeles Lakers]]
|}

===Retired numbers===
[[File:Willie Wise and Mel Daniels.jpeg|alt=Daniels contesting a shot|thumb|upright|[[Mel Daniels]] (right) played for Indiana from 1968 to 1974. His uniform No. 34 was retired in 1985]]

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+ style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Indiana Pacers retired numbers
|-
! style="{{NBA color cell2|Indiana Pacers}};"|No.
! style="{{NBA color cell2|Indiana Pacers}};"|Player
! style="{{NBA color cell2|Indiana Pacers}};"|Position
! style="{{NBA color cell2|Indiana Pacers}};"|Tenure
! style="{{NBA color cell2|Indiana Pacers}};"|Date
|-
!scope="col"|30
| [[George McGinnis]] || [[Forward (basketball)|F]] || 1971–1975<br />1980–1982 || November 2, 1985
|-
!scope="col"|31
| [[Reggie Miller]] || [[Guard (basketball)|G]] || 1987–2005 || March 30, 2006
|-
!scope="col"|34
| [[Mel Daniels]] || [[Center (basketball)|C]]<sup>1</sup> || 1968–1974 || November 2, 1985
|-
!scope="col"|35
| [[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|Roger Brown]] || [[Forward (basketball)|F]] || 1967–1974, 1975 || November 2, 1985
|- 
!scope="col"|529
| [[Bobby Leonard]] || [[Coach (basketball)|Coach]] || 1968–1980 || March 15, 1996
|}
Notes:
* <sup>1</sup> Also served as coach (1988)
* The NBA retired [[Bill Russell]]'s No.&nbsp;6 for all its member teams on August 11, 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bill Russell's No.&nbsp;6 jersey to be retired throughout NBA |url=https://www.nba.com/news/bill-russells-no-6-jersey-to-be-retired-throughout-nba |website=NBA.com |access-date=August 24, 2022 |date=August 11, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Golliver |first1=Ben |title=NBA permanently retires Bill Russell's No.&nbsp;6 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/08/11/bill-russell-nba-jersey-retirement/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=August 24, 2022 |date=August 11, 2022}}</ref>

===Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers===
{{Main|Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame}}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders " style="text-align:center"
|+style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Indiana Pacers players Hall of Famers
|-
!scope="col"| No.
!scope="col"| Name
!scope="col"| Position
!scope="col"| Tenure
!scope="col"| Inducted
|-
| 22
!scope="row"| [[Alex English]]
| [[Small forward|F]] || 1978–1980 || 1997
|-
| 4
!scope="row" | [[Adrian Dantley]]
| [[Small forward|F]]/[[Shooting guard|G]] || 1977 || 2008
|-
| 25
!scope="row" | [[Gus Johnson (basketball)|Gus Johnson]]
| [[Small forward|F]]/[[Center (basketball)|C]] || 1972–1973 || 2010
|-
| 17
!scope="row" | [[Chris Mullin (basketball)|Chris Mullin]] {{Ref|a}}
| [[Small forward|F]]/[[Shooting guard|G]] || 1997–2000 || 2011
|-
| 34
!scope="row" | [[Mel Daniels]] {{Ref|b}}
| [[Center (basketball)|C]] || 1968–1974 || 2012
|-
| 31
!scope="row" | [[Reggie Miller]]
| [[Shooting guard|G]] || 1987–2005 || 2012
|-
| 1<br />35
!scope="row" | [[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|Roger Brown]] {{Ref|c}}
| [[Small forward|F]]/[[Shooting guard|G]] || 1967–1974<br />1975 || 2013
|-
| 30
!scope="row" | [[George McGinnis]]
| [[Forward (basketball)|F]] || 1971–1975<br />1980–1982 || 2017<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-04-01 |title=McGrady, Self, Lobo headline 2017 HOF class |url=http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/19052994/tracy-mcgrady-bill-self-rebecca-lobo-headline-2017-basketball-hall-fame-class |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=ESPN.com|agency=Associated Press |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| 14
!scope="row" | [[Tim Hardaway]]
| [[Point guard|G]] || 2003 || 2022
|}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders " style="text-align:center"
|+style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Indiana Pacers coaches Hall of Famers
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Name
!scope="col" | Position
!scope="col" | Tenure
!scope="col" | Inducted
|-
|{{n/a}}
!scope="row" |[[Jack Ramsay]]
| Head coach || 1986–1988 || 1992
|-
|{{n/a}}
!scope="row" |[[Larry Brown (basketball)|Larry Brown]]
| Head coach || 1993–1997 || 2002
|-
| 529
!scope="row" | [[Bobby Leonard]]
| Head coach || 1968–1980 || 2014
|}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders " style="text-align:center"
|+style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Indiana Pacers contributors Hall of Famers
|-
!scope="col"|Name
!scope="col" | Position
!scope="col" | Tenure
!scope="col" | Inducted
|-
!scope="row"|[[Herb Simon (businessman)|Herb Simon]]
| Owner || 1983–present || 2024
|}
Notes:
*{{sup|2}}{{note|a}}In total, Mullin was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice – as player and as member of the [[1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team|1992 Olympic team]].
*{{sup|3}}{{note|b}}He also coached the Pacers in 1988.
*{{sup|4}}{{note|c}}Inducted posthumously.

===FIBA Hall of Famers===
{{Main|FIBA Hall of Fame}}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders " style="text-align:center"
|+ style="{{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Indiana Pacers FIBA Hall of Famers
|-
!scope="col"| No.
!scope="col" | Name
!scope="col" | Position
!scope="col" | Tenure
!scope="col" | Inducted
|-
| 11
!scope="row"| [[Detlef Schrempf]]
| [[Power Forward (basketball)|F]] || 1989–1993 || 2021
|-
| 16
!scope="row" | [[Peja Stojaković]]
| [[Small forward|F]] || 2006 || 2024
|-
| 31
!scope="row" | [[Reggie Miller]]
| [[Shooting guard|G]] || 1987–2005 || 2024
|}

===Draft picks===
{{Main|Indiana Pacers draft history}}

==Head coaches==
{{Main|List of Indiana Pacers head coaches}}
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. Coach [[Bobby Leonard]] has the most wins in franchise history, with 529 in his 12 seasons with the team. After Leonard, [[Jack McKinney (basketball)|Jack McKinney]], [[George Irvine (basketball)|George Irvine]], and [[Jack Ramsay]]. When Ramsay abruptly resigned in 1988 after the team got off to a weak start, Pacers legend [[Mel 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 before [[Bob Hill]] got the Pacers back to the playoffs and into contention. Then in 1993, [[Larry Brown (basketball)|Larry Brown]] joined the Pacers franchise and led the team to many playoff appearances as [[Reggie 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 first [[NBA Finals]] appearance in the [[2000 NBA Finals|1999–2000 season]]. [[Isiah Thomas]], [[Rick Carlisle]], and [[Jim O'Brien (basketball, born 1952)|Jim O'Brien]] were next up as the Pacers top coach. The most recent head coach of the Pacers was [[Frank Vogel]], until May 5, 2016, when his contract was not renewed after the seventh-seeded Pacers lost game 7 of the first round of the [[2016 NBA playoffs]] to the number two seeded [[Toronto Raptors]]. Subsequently, associate head coach [[Nate 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 coach [[Nate 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-hired [[Rick Carlisle]] for a second stint as the team's head coach.

==Franchise records and individual awards==

===Franchise leaders===
'''Bold''' denotes still active with team.

''Italic'' denotes still active but not with team.
<!-- Note: Statistics are updated only at the end of each season. -->

'''Points scored (regular season) (as of the end of the 2024–25 season)'''<ref name="basketball-reference1">{{cite web |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/IND/players.html |title=Indiana Pacers: Players |publisher=Basketball Reference |date=December 1, 2020 |access-date=December 1, 2020}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
# [[Reggie Miller]] (25,279)
# [[Rik Smits]] (12,871)
# [[Billy Knight]] (10,780)
# [[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|Roger Brown]] (10,058)
# [[Jermaine O'Neal]] (9,580)
# [[Danny Granger]] (9,571)
# [[George McGinnis]] (9,545)
# [[Vern Fleming]] (9,535)
# [[Mel Daniels]] (9,314)
# [[Freddie Lewis]] (9,257)
# [[Chuck Person]] (9,096)
# ''[[Myles Turner]]'' (9,031)
# [[Herb Williams]] (8,637)
# ''[[Paul George]]'' (8,090)
# [[Bob Netolicky]] (8,078)
# [[Billy Keller]] (6,588)
# [[Dale Davis (basketball)|Dale Davis]] (6,523)
# [[Detlef Schrempf]] (6,009)
# [[Roy Hibbert]] (5,909)
# [[Jalen Rose]] (5,712)
{{div col end}}

'''Other statistics (regular season) (as of the end of the 2024–25 season)'''<ref name="basketball-reference1"/>
{{columns-start|num=5}}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Most minutes played
|-
!scope="col" style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell2|Indiana Pacers}};"|Player
!scope="col" style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell2|Indiana Pacers}};"|Minutes
|-
!scope="row"|[[Reggie Miller]]
| 47,619
|-
!scope="row"|[[Rik Smits]]
| 23,100
|-
!scope="row"|[[Vern Fleming]]
| 22,974
|-
!scope="row"|[[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|Roger Brown]]
| 20,315
|-
!scope="row"|[[Dale Davis (basketball)|Dale Davis]]
| 19,814
|-
!scope="row"|[[Freddie Lewis]]
| 19,534
|-
!scope="row"|[[Herb Williams]]
| 18,455
|-
!scope="row"|''[[Myles Turner]]''
| 18,454
|-
!scope="row"|[[Jermaine O'Neal]]
| 17,997
|-
!scope="row"|[[Billy Knight]]
| 17,787
|}
{{column}}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Most rebounds
|-
!scope="col" style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell2|Indiana Pacers}};"|Player
!scope="col" style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell2|Indiana Pacers}};"|Rebounds
|-
!scope="row"|[[Mel Daniels]]
| 7,643
|-
!scope="row"|[[Dale Davis (basketball)|Dale Davis]]
| 6,006
|-
!scope="row"|[[Rik Smits]]
| 5,277
|-
!scope="row"|[[Jeff Foster (basketball)|Jeff Foster]]
| 5,248
|-
!scope="row"|[[George McGinnis]]
| 5,219
|-
!scope="row"|[[Jermaine O'Neal]]
| 4,933
|-
!scope="row"|[[Bob Netolicky]]
| 4,566
|-
!scope="row"|[[Herb Williams]]
| 4,494
|-
!scope="row"|''[[Myles Turner]]''
| 4,349
|-
!scope="row"|[[Reggie Miller]]
| 4,182
|}
{{column}}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Most assists
|-
!scope="col" style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell2|Indiana Pacers}};"|Player
!scope="col" style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell2|Indiana Pacers}};"|Assists
|-
!scope="row"|[[Reggie Miller]]
| 4,141
|-
!scope="row"|[[Vern Fleming]]
| 4,038
|-
!scope="row"|[[Mark Jackson (basketball)|Mark Jackson]]
| 3,294
|-
!scope="row"|[[Jamaal Tinsley]]
| 2,786
|-
!scope="row"|[[Don Buse]]
| 2,737
|-
!scope="row"|[[Freddie Lewis]]
| 2,279
|-
!scope="row"|'''[[Tyrese Haliburton]]'''
| 2,259
|-
!scope="row"|[[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|Roger Brown]]
| 2,214
|-
!scope="row"|'''[[T.J. McConnell]]'''
| 2,080
|-
!scope="row"|[[Billy Keller]]
| 1,980
|}
{{column}}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Most steals
|-
!scope="col" style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell2|Indiana Pacers}};"|Player
!scope="col" style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell2|Indiana Pacers}};"|Steals
|-
!scope="row"|[[Reggie Miller]]
| 1,505
|-
!scope="row"|[[Don Buse]]
| 1,177
|-
!scope="row"|[[Vern Fleming]]
| 885
|-
!scope="row"|[[George McGinnis]]
| 752
|-
!scope="row"| ''[[Paul George]]''
| 740
|-
!scope="row"|[[Jamaal Tinsley]]
| 660
|-
!scope="row"|[[Billy Knight]]
| 651
|-
!scope="row"|[[Danny Granger]]
| 545
|-
!scope="row"|[[Derrick McKey]]
| 512
|-
!scope="row"|[[Jeff Foster (basketball)|Jeff Foster]]
| 507
|}
{{column}}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell|Indiana Pacers}};"|Most blocks
|-
!scope="col" style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell2|Indiana Pacers}};"|Player
!scope="col" style="text-align:center; {{NBA color cell2|Indiana Pacers}};"|Blocks
|-
!scope="row"| ''[[Myles Turner]]''
| 1,412
|-
!scope="row"|[[Jermaine O'Neal]]
| 1,245
|-
!scope="row"|[[Rik Smits]]
| 1,111
|-
!scope="row"|[[Herb Williams]]
| 1,094
|-
!scope="row"|[[Roy Hibbert]]
| 990
|-
!scope="row"|[[Dale Davis (basketball)|Dale Davis]]
| 904
|-
!scope="row"|[[Darnell Hillman]]
| 611
|-
!scope="row"|[[Danny Granger]]
| 471
|-
!scope="row"|[[Len Elmore]]
| 423
|-
!scope="row"|[[Clemon Johnson]]
| 415
|}
{{columns-end}}

===NBA individual awards===
{{columns-start|num=2}}

'''[[NBA conference finals MVP awards|NBA Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player]]'''
*[[Pascal Siakam]] – 2025

'''[[NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award|NBA Defensive Player of the Year]]'''
*[[Metta Sandiford-Artest|Ron Artest]] – 2004

'''[[NBA Rookie of the Year Award|NBA Rookie of the Year]]'''
*[[Chuck Person]] – 1987

'''[[NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award|NBA Sixth Man of the Year]]'''
*[[Detlef Schrempf]] – 1991, 1992

'''[[NBA Most Improved Player Award|NBA Most Improved Player of the Year]]'''
*[[Jalen Rose]] – 2000
*[[Jermaine O'Neal]] – 2002
*[[Danny Granger]] – 2009
*[[Paul George]] – 2013
*[[Victor Oladipo]] – 2018

'''[[NBA Coach of the Year Award|NBA Coach of the Year]]'''
*[[Jack McKinney (basketball)|Jack McKinney]] – 1981
*[[Larry Bird]] – 1998

'''[[NBA Executive of the Year Award|NBA Executive of the Year]]'''
*[[Larry Bird]] – 2012

'''[[All-NBA Second Team]]'''
*[[Jermaine O'Neal]] – 2004

'''[[All-NBA Third Team]]'''
*[[Reggie Miller]] – 1995, 1996, 1998
*[[Jermaine O'Neal]] – 2002, 2003
*[[Metta Sandiford-Artest|Ron Artest]] – 2004
*[[Paul George]] – 2013, 2014, 2016
*[[Victor Oladipo]] – 2018
*[[Tyrese Haliburton]] – 2024, 2025

'''[[NBA All-Defensive First Team]]'''
*[[Don Buse]] – 1977
*[[Metta Sandiford-Artest|Ron Artest]] – 2004
*[[Paul George]] – 2014
*[[Victor Oladipo]] – 2018

'''[[NBA All-Defensive Second Team]]'''
*[[Dudley Bradley]] – 1981
*[[Micheal Williams]] – 1992
*[[Derrick McKey]] – 1995, 1996
*[[Metta Sandiford-Artest|Ron Artest]] – 2003
*[[Paul George]] – 2013, 2016
*[[Roy Hibbert]] – 2014

'''[[Magic Johnson Award]]'''
*[[Jermaine O'Neal]] – 2004

'''[[J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award]]'''
*[[Reggie Miller]] – 2004
*[[Malcolm Brogdon]] – 2020

'''[[USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year]]'''
*[[Chuck Person]] – 1985
*[[Reggie Miller]] – 2002

{{column}}

'''[[NBA All-Rookie First Team]]'''
*[[Clark Kellogg]] – 1983
*[[Steve Stipanovich]] – 1984
*[[Chuck Person]] – 1987
*[[Rik Smits]] – 1989
*[[Bennedict Mathurin]] – 2023

'''[[NBA All-Rookie Second Team]]'''
*[[Jamaal Tinsley]] – 2002
*[[Danny Granger]] – 2006
*[[Paul George]] – 2011
*[[Myles Turner (basketball)|Myles Turner]] – 2016
*[[Chris Duarte (basketball)|Chris Duarte]] – 2022

'''[[List of National Basketball Association annual assists leaders|NBA Annual Assists Leaders]]'''
*[[Don Buse]] – 1977
*[[Mark Jackson]] – 1997
*[[Tyrese Haliburton]] – 2024

'''[[List of National Basketball Association annual steals leaders|NBA Annual Steals Leaders]]'''
*[[Don Buse]] – 1977
*[[Victor Oladipo]] – 2018

'''[[List of National Basketball Association annual blocks leaders|NBA Annual Blocks Leaders]]'''
*[[Myles Turner]] – 2019, 2021

'''[[List of National Basketball Association annual three-point field goals leaders|NBA Annual Three-Point Field Goal Leaders]]'''
*[[Don Buse]] – 1982
*[[Reggie Miller]] – 1993, 1997

'''[[List of National Basketball Association annual three-point field goal percentage leaders|NBA Annual Three-Point Field Goal Percentage Leaders]]'''
*[[Darren Collison]] – 2018

'''[[List of National Basketball Association annual free throw percentage leaders|NBA Annual Free Throw Percentage Leaders]]'''
*[[Reggie Miller]] – 1991, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005
*[[Chris Mullin]] – 1998

'''[[50–40–90 club|NBA 50–40–90 Club]]'''
*[[Reggie Miller]] – 1994

'''[[2020 NBA Bubble|NBA All-Seeding Games First Team]]'''
*[[T. J. Warren]] – 2020

'''[[NBA 75th Anniversary Team]]'''
*[[Reggie Miller]] – 2021

'''[[NBA 75th Anniversary Team|Top 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History]]'''
*[[Larry Brown (basketball)|Larry Brown]] – 2021
*[[Jack Ramsay]] – 2021

'''[[50 Greatest Players in NBA History|Top 10 Coaches in NBA History]]'''
*[[Jack Ramsay]] – 1996
{{columns-end}}

===ABA individual awards===
{{columns-start|num=2}}

'''[[List of American Basketball Association awards and honors#Most Valuable Player|ABA Most Valuable Player Award]]'''
*[[Mel Daniels]] – 1969, 1971
*[[George McGinnis]] – 1975

'''[[ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player]]'''
*[[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|Roger Brown]] – 1970
*[[Freddie Lewis]] – 1972
*[[George McGinnis]] – 1973

'''[[List of American Basketball Association awards and honors#All-Star Game MVP|ABA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award]]'''
*[[Mel Daniels]] – 1971

'''[[ABA All-Star Game|ABA All-Star East Head coach]]'''
*[[Bobby Leonard]] – 1970

'''[[ABA All-Star Game|ABA All-Star selections]]'''
*[[Bob Netolicky]] – 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971
*[[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|Roger Brown]] – 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972
*[[Freddie Lewis]] – 1968, 1970, 1972
*[[Mel Daniels]] – 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
*[[George McGinnis]] – 1973, 1974, 1975
*[[Billy Knight]] – 1976
*[[Don Buse]] – 1976

'''[[All-ABA First Team]]'''
*[[Mel Daniels]] – 1969, 1970, 1971
*[[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|Roger Brown]] – 1971
*[[George McGinnis]] – 1974, 1975
*[[Billy Knight]] – 1976

{{column}}

'''[[All-ABA Second Team]]'''
*[[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|Roger Brown]] – 1968, 1970
*[[Bob Netolicky]] – 1970
*[[George McGinnis]] – 1973
*[[Mel Daniels]] – 1973
*[[Don Buse]] – 1976

'''[[List of American Basketball Association awards and honors#All-Defensive Team|ABA All-Defensive Team]]'''
*[[Don Buse]] – 1975, 1976

'''[[ABA All-Rookie Team]]'''
*[[Bob Netolicky]] – 1968
*[[George McGinnis]] – 1972
*[[Billy Knight]] – 1975

'''[[ABA All-Time Team]]'''
*[[Mel Daniels]] – 1997
*[[George McGinnis]] – 1997
*[[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|Roger Brown]] – 1997
*[[Donnie Freeman (basketball, born 1944)|Donnie Freeman]] – 1997
*[[Freddie Lewis]] – 1997
*[[Billy Knight]] – 1997
*[[Bob Netolicky]] – 1997
*[[Warren Jabali]] – 1997

'''[[ABA All-Time Team|ABA All-Time Coaches]]'''
*[[Bobby Leonard|Bobby "Slick" Leonard]] – 1997
{{columns-end}}

===NBA All-Star Weekend===
{{columns-start|num=2}}

'''[[NBA All-Star Game|NBA All-Star selections]]'''
*[[Billy Knight]] – 1977
*[[Don Buse]] – 1977
*[[Reggie Miller]] – 1990, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000
*[[Detlef Schrempf]] – 1993
*[[Rik Smits]] – 1998
*[[Dale Davis (basketball)|Dale Davis]] – 2000
*[[Jermaine O'Neal]] – 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
*[[Brad Miller (basketball)|Brad Miller]] – 2003
*[[Metta Sandiford-Artest|Ron Artest]] – 2004
*[[Danny Granger]] – 2009
*[[Roy Hibbert]] – 2012, 2014
*[[Paul George]] – 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
*[[Victor Oladipo]] – 2018, 2019
*[[Domantas Sabonis]] – 2020, 2021
*[[Tyrese Haliburton]] – 2023, 2024
*[[Pascal Siakam]] – 2025

'''[[List of NBA All-Star Game head coaches|NBA All-Star Eastern Conference head coach]]'''
*[[Larry Bird]] – 1998
*[[Isiah Thomas]] – 2003
*[[Rick Carlisle]] – 2004
*[[Frank Vogel]] – 2014

'''[[NBA Rising Stars Challenge|NBA Rising Stars Challenge head coach]]'''
*[[Nate McMillan]] – 2014

'''[[NBA All-Star Legends Game]]'''
*[[Mel Daniels]] – 1985
*[[Roger Brown (basketball, born 1942)|Roger Brown]] – 1985
*[[Phil Chenier]] – 1991
*[[Dan Roundfield]] – 1991, 1992, 1993

'''[[NBA Three-Point Contest]]'''
*[[Reggie Miller]] – 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1998
*[[Danny Granger]] – 2009
*[[Paul George]] – 2013
*[[Buddy Hield]] – 2023
*[[Tyrese Haliburton]] – 2023, 2024
{{column}}

'''[[NBA Rising Stars Challenge|NBA Rising Stars Challenge Most Valuable Player]]'''
*[[Bennedict Mathurin]] – 2024

'''[[NBA Rising Stars Challenge]]'''
*[[Antonio Davis]] – 1994
*[[Erick Dampier]] – 1997
*[[Jamaal Tinsley]] – 2002, 2003
*[[Šarūnas Jasikevičius]] – 2006
*[[Danny Granger]] – 2006, 2007
*[[Paul George]] – 2012
*[[Myles Turner]] – 2017
*[[Domantas Sabonis]] – 2018
*[[Chris Duarte (basketball)|Chris Duarte]] – 2022
*[[Tyrese Haliburton]] – 2022
*[[Andrew Nembhard]] – 2023
*[[Bennedict Mathurin]] – 2023, 2024
*[[Oscar Tshiebwe]] – 2024

'''[[NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge|NBA Skills Challenge]]'''
*[[Domantas Sabonis]] – 2020, 2021
*[[Myles Turner]] – 2024
*[[Bennedict Mathurin]] – 2024
*[[Tyrese Haliburton]] – 2024

'''[[2022 NBA All-Star Game|NBA Clorox Clutch Challenge]]'''
*[[Tyrese Haliburton]] – 2022
*[[Chris Duarte (basketball)|Chris Duarte]] – 2022

'''[[NBA Slam Dunk Contest]]'''
*[[Darnell Hillman]] – 1977
*[[Terence Stansbury]] – 1985, 1986
*[[Kenny Williams (basketball, born 1969)|Kenny Williams]] – 1991
*[[Antonio Davis]] – 1994
*[[Jonathan Bender]] – 2001
*[[Fred Jones (basketball)|Fred Jones]] – 2004
*[[Paul George]] – 2012, 2014
*[[Gerald Green]] – 2013
*[[Glenn Robinson III]] – 2017
*[[Victor Oladipo]] – 2018
*[[Cassius Stanley]] – 2021
{{columns-end}}

==Mascot==
[[Boomer (mascot)|Boomer]], the Pacers Panther, has been the official team mascot since the [[1991–92 NBA season|1991–1992 season]]. Boomer is known for performing high flying dunks and dance moves. Boomer has performed for multiple [[NBA All-Star Game]]s. 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 the [[2009–10 NBA season|2009–10 season]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Boomer the Panther – NBA Indiana Pacers Mascot|url=https://sportmascots.com/nba/boomer-panther-indiana-pacers/|work=Sport Mascots|access-date=December 12, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/remember-indiana-pacers-mascot-bowser-190808383.html|title=Remember Indiana Pacers' mascot Bowser? He's sorely missed|work=The Indianapolis Star|last=Benbow|first=Dana Hunsinger|via=Yahoo! Sports|date=December 3, 2021|access-date=December 12, 2022}}</ref>

==Dance squad==
Founded in 1967, the same year as the Pacers franchise, the '''Indiana 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 the ''Marathon Scoreboard Girls'', then later as the ''Paul Harris Pacesetters'', the Pacemates name has been used since the 1972–1973 season.<ref>{{citation |title=Gametime 2010–2011 Season (game program)|author=Indiana Pacers|date=November 9, 2010|page=45}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|d=Q170329|wikt=no|c=category:Indiana Pacers|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|s=no|species=no|q=no}}
* {{Official website}}

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[[Category:Indiana Pacers| ]]
[[Category:American Basketball Association teams]]
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