Despite not having a title to their name, the Indiana Pacers have been one of the most consistent teams in the association, qualifying for the playoffs 16 times since 2000, tied for second with the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks and only behind the San Antonio Spurs.
As a basketball state, Indianapolis is a competitive haven, never aiming to build anew by tanking. This is the reason why the Pacers have been so consistent in the past two decades despite inevitable roster changes and passing of the thrones.
The past decade saw Indiana flirt with the title twice, just falling short against their common adversaries. With nine postseason appearances since 2011, fans sure have a lot of moments that they hold dear even though the Pacers have yet to secure its first championship.
Thus, we asked fans on Twitter to choose their best playoff moment since 2011 using a Twitter poll, and the fans have spoken. Amassing more than 500 votes, here are the three best postseason moments for the Indiana Pacers since 2011.
Honorable Mention: David West’s Game 6 performance vs the Atlanta Hawks
The Bogey Game: Bojan Bogdanovic leads Indiana Pacers comeback to take a 2-1 lead vs LBJ and the Cavs
The 2017-18 Indiana Pacers were very fun and memorable. After the tumultuous exit of franchise cornerstone Paul George, the Navy and Gold were seemingly intent to rebuild, until they decided to shock the NBA and qualify for the playoffs as the fifth seed in the East.
Most people didn’t expect the Pacers to seriously challenge the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James. However, Indiana quickly stole one in their homecourt and rode back to the Bankers Life Fieldhouse with the series tied 1-1.
The Cavs were seemingly on pace to win, leading as much as 17 before the Pacers came back with a different fire. All-Star Victor Oladipo and veteran Thaddeus Young led the rally, but Cleveland was ultimately stunned by a sensational game from a player the league seemingly overlooked: Bojan Bogdanovic.
The Croatian sniper, who signed with the Indiana Pacers in the summer of 2017, averaged 14.3 points per game in his first season with the team, proving to be a great complement to the fast-paced Navy and Gold. However, in Game 3 of the First Round of the 2018 playoffs, he silenced critics by leading the team in scoring with 30 on seven three-pointers while playing great defense on the best player in the planet.
Bogdanovic nailed two consecutive three-pointers, one of which a four-point play, to put the team up seven in the 4th. The Cavs mounted a rally, tying it at 84 apiece before Bojan scored the next five, including a 30-feet heave that gave the Pacers the lead and they never looked back.
I know, the Cavaliers ended up winning the series, but there’s no denying that Bojan’s explosion in Game 3 gave fans hope despite being projected to be a lottery team in the beginning. It was a remarkable moment in a season that revitalized a franchise which just lost its cornerstone player.
Roy Hibbert blocks Carmelo Anthony, ending the Knicks’ season and igniting franchise struggles
The 2013 NBA Playoffs saw the Indiana Pacers commence their run as a championship contender. After entering the postseason as third seed in the East, the Navy and Gold quickly made noise in the postseason by ousting Atlanta in the first round. Soon after, the found themselves matched up with the second-seeded New York Knicks, a star-studded team bannered by the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and JR Smith while being surrounded by an ensemble supporting cast.
Pacers-Knicks was a clash of style in every thinkable way: big market versus small market, offense versus defense, a perimeter-oriented team versus a plodding, physical squad. By all means, more people still expected New York to win with their league-leading scorer in Melo, but ultimately, this series was played on Indiana’s terms.
Up 3-2 heading to Indianapolis, the Pacers seemed poised to win, leading by 12 in the third frame. However, the Knicks caught fire, even leading by a deuce with five minutes left and had all the momentum to force a winner-takes-all Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. Up 92-90, Melo spun around Paul George and tried to throw it down, but was met at the rim by 7’2 behemoth Roy Hibbert. Indiana then quickly rounded back to form in clutch time to eliminate New York and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Hibbert’s block ignited not only the Indiana Pacers’ brief championship window, but also the long downfall of the New York Knicks. Since the 2013 Playoffs, the Knickerbockers haven’t made the postseason. That will change in the current campaign, but the defensive anchor’s monumental rejection was memorable not only to Pacers fans, but also to the Knicks faithful, who soon saw their championship hopes die and their team falter despite being the league’s highest-valued franchise.
Paul George posterizes Chris Andersen and hoists the Indiana Pacers as title contenders
After dispatching the New York Knicks in the East semis, the Indiana Pacers found themselves opposite a title favorite: the Miami Heat. Headed by their Big 3, the Heatles cruised through the regular season and won a league-high 66 games, clearly dominating the Eastern Conference from end to finish.
But the Pacers had other plans. After narrowly missing Game 1 on Miami’s court via LBJ’s game-winning layup, Indiana came soaring in Game 2. Riding their physical brand of basketball to punish the Heat’s celebrated small-ball style, the Navy and Gold managed to put the league on notice and proved that they are more than a feel-good story.
Caught in a tight game, Indiana led Miami 73-71 late in the third quarter. With the clock dwindling down, Paul George beat James off the dribble and flew above Chris Andersen, posterizing the Birdman in the process. This emphatically sparked the Pacers as they went on to beat the Heat in a tightly contested game and head home with the series on a deadlock.
While the Indiana Pacers ultimately bowed down in seven games to the Miami Heat, PG proved that the Navy and Gold was a potent fourth behemoth in the league’s then-three-headed monster of title contenders in the Heat, the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Unfortunately, this was as close as the Pacers got to dethroning LeBron and Miami. 2014 saw them abruptly go down to the Heat once more in six games, a cultivation of their disappointing run to end the season despite boasting a more talented team and possessing the number one seed.