Indiana Pacers: If 2-0 Did Not Mean Anything, Does 3-0?

The Indiana Pacers earned their third-consecutive victory to begin the season for the ninth time in franchise history.

First, it was a 121-107 home win over the New York Knicks to begin the 2020-22 season. Then the Indiana Pacers made it back to back win with a road win over the Chicago Bulls, 125-106. Indiana has now won each of its first three games to begin the season after a nail-bitting 108-107 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday.

Yesterday, an article was published on this site (admittedly by me) stating the 2-0 start was not a big deal. It had not happened in a few years but it has happened often enough throughout the organization’s 54 total seasons. Plus the Pacers were the favorite in each of their first two games this season.

The fact that the team won the first two games was not as important as how they played. Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner have both taken their games to the next level. Victor Oladipo and T.J. Warren have the offense handled. Malcolm Brogdon is a born leader. Don’t even get me started on how the reserve players have stepped up.

Saying the 2-0 start did not really mean much seems seemed accurate. Then, the Pacers had to go and beat an Eastern Conference contender like the Celtics.

So, does a 3-0 start mean something?

Absolutely. The Pacers showed they can compete short-handed, on the second night of a back-to-back, with the best teams in the NBA. That means something.

It means that the Pacers did not care for all those “experts” predicting a lottery pick for Indiana in 2021. It means Kevin Pritchard and the rest of the front were on to something when they held on to Turner and ran it back this season with a nearly identical roster. It means the entire organization wants to compete in the Eastern Conference.

Starting the season 3-0 has only been done nine times in franchise history. It has not been done since the 2013-14 campaign and happened three times when Indiana competed in the ABA. It doesn’t happen that often. Add that to an equation that involves who the Pacers beat and how they beat them, and the outcome is one for fans to be excited about.

Now, Indiana heads up to Boston for the next game. It’s difficult to imagine that a top-four team in the East will drop back-to-back games, to the same team, in the first seven days of the season. But, if the Pacers do move to 4-0 with a pair of wins over the Celtics, the Eastern Conference will officially be put on notice that Indiana cannot be taken lightly.