After surviving Sunday’s thrilling win over the Miami Heat, the Indiana Pacers control their own destiny in the playoff race. It’s the final week of the regular season, and the Pacers have a great opportunity to avoid the play-in tournament, and secure a playoff spot for the first time since they played in the Covid Bubble back in 2020.
Seeding and match-ups are still up for grabs, but the goal all season long for this young team was to make the playoffs and get their shot in a full series. I don’t know if this team will win a round in the playoffs or not, but I still believe they’re a team nobody wants to face.
The team is ready. And the fans are ready. It’s been a long time coming.
“More than anything, I think it’s good for the city,” said Pacers center Myles Turner on Sunday. “It’s been electric in this building. We feed off their energy.”
Speaking of energy, the team’s spark plug TJ McConnell is getting excited for his first taste of playoff basketball in Indianapolis, saying: “We keep hearing this is one of the best atmospheres in the playoffs, if not THE best. So we’re just excited to get there and experience that for ourselves.”
This season has been a roller coaster ride with plenty of ups and downs. The Pacers have shot themselves in the foot many times with a large number of losses against inferior opponents. At the same time, you could look at that as a positive for the future. Despite all of those head-scratching losses, this team is only a few games (2.5 before Tuesday night’s games) behind the No. 2-seed in the Eastern Conference. Maybe this season will ultimately be about gaining experience, adding Pascal Siakam, and getting back on the map in the NBA. Or maybe, this team will also make some noise in this year’s playoffs.
At this point, their first round opponent could be any of the following: Cleveland, Orlando, New York, with a lesser chance of Milwaukee or Boston. Those first three teams are all talented, and would present their own challenges. I don’t think the Pacers would be intimidated by any of them.
“We’ve got to really take things moment by moment,” said Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle. “We’re not going to look ahead or look beyond the next challenge. This time of year, you have to really focus on what’s right in front of you and not get caught up in anything else.”
The 1-2 punch of Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam will be a problem for opponents in a seven-game series. The Pacers defense, which used to be non-existent, has really improved in the last few months. And the Pacers have played really well in big moments against good teams all season long. Combine all of this with an Indiana crowd that is ready to erupt, and you have all the makings of a dangerous team.
Assuming the Pacers avoid the play-in tournament, their first playoff game will likely be on April 20th or 21st. Buckle up. Let’s see what this team can do.
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.
