I still can’t believe it ended like that.
The 2025 Indiana Pacers season was like the greatest sports movie of all time, but one of those movies that was spoiled by a terrible ending. At the same time, it’s a story that will be remembered forever. This team took us on a two-month journey in the NBA Playoffs, filled with crazy comebacks and exciting moments that most fan bases can only dream about. They were the underdogs in 17 of their 23 playoff games. They took a historically great Oklahoma City team to a Game Seven in the NBA Finals. And though they were one game short of winning their first NBA Championship, they achieved something they’ve also wanted for a long time: Respect.
They were called a “fluke” team last year, and a team that “could only beat injured teams” through two rounds this year. And then, they took down the New York Knicks and gave the Thunder all they could handle. The narrative finally changed, and the world got to see what we knew all along: This is a true team, and they are for real.
Through these playoffs, the Pacers became the first team in NBA history to have eight players score 200 or more points in one playoff run. They tied the Miami Heat for the most underdog victories in playoff history. They were the first team to ever go up 2-0 in three straight series’ after only having home court advantage in one of them. They completed four comeback games where the win probability in the final minutes of each game was .03%, 2.1%, 3.1%, and 2.6%. Winning even one of those games would have been an amazing feat, and this team did it four times. There was a common theme in all four of those comeback victories as well: Tyrese Halliburton hitting all of the clutch shots. I wrote a column in this very paper back in 2023 calling Haliburton the new Reggie. That one aged well, as the kids say.
And that’s what makes the ending of this story so difficult. The Pacers star point guard tore his achilles in Game 7, just seven minutes into the game. He was playing on a strained calf, and he knew the risks. Yet he still went out there to put his own health on the line. After his recent surgery, Haliburton said on social media that “Torn achilles and all, I don’t regret it. I’d do it again, and again after that, to fight for this city and my brothers. For the chance to do something special.”
We were all robbed of the chance of seeing an epic conclusion to this series. We will always wonder “what if?” Haliburton didn’t get hurt. And now, we are also robbed of the chance to do it again next season. Haliburton will likely miss all of next season, adding to the pain of this season’s conclusion. Last Thursday night, the Pacers won Game 6 in Indianapolis, and it was one of the most magical nights for sports in this state’s history. And now, every Pacer fan would go back in time if they could, and would rather lose that game, if it meant Haliburton would have stayed healthy. That’s our guy. That’s our franchise. That’s why this is so hard.
We’ve seen the power of sports on full display during this run. Sports can giveth and taketh away. Sports can teach you a lot about life. There will be ups, and even more downs. There will be a lot of moments that humble you, and several that just don’t make any sense. The power lies in the journey. The greatness is going through the ups and downs together, as a team, as a fan base, and as a family. There will be injuries. There will be losses. There will also be moments of triumph and unity that make it all worth it.
The Pacers made us believe again. The Pacers brought us together. The Pacers made the state of Indiana proud.
This movie may be over, but I’ve got a feeling it was only part one.
To the team in gold that gave it everything you had, thank you for one incredible ride.
Tyler Smith covers the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Hoosiers for IndySportsLegends and is a frequent contributor to the Journal Review. He is also the youth and sports pastor at New Hope Christian Church.
