Safe to say, this particular season has been historically bad for the Indiana Pacers. Their .328 winning percentage so far ranks the fifth-lowest for the franchise since they entered the league in 1976.
Consistent with the theme of history, Indiana could very well face another historic feat in their next game. Earlier in the season, they were near victims of Stephen Curry’s ludicrous all-time three-point record. On Sunday night, they could be on the wrong side once more, with the franchise potentially being a stepping stone for a living legend to cement his placing in the history books.
The Indiana Pacers could be Gregg Popovich’s final stepping stone toward topping the all-time regular season wins list as a head coach
Like the Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs have had one of their worst campaigns so far in their winning-rich history. In the first year of a full rebuild, the Spurs are currently 25-41, firmly out of the playoff picture in the West (play-in excluded). Indiana has already beaten them in their first meeting this season.
Unlike Indiana, however, San Antonio still has something to play for, aside from jockeying for position in the stale play-in tournament race. Gregg Popovich, arguably the greatest coach of all time, is just one win away from being the winningest coach in NBA history in the regular season (He’s already locked up the record with the regular season and playoffs combined).
When the Pacers meet the Spurs on Sunday, a lot of eyes will be watching. While San Antonio still has Utah on deck before hosting the Blue and Gold, the Jazz have too much firepower to lose to a young and inconsistent Spurs club.
Losing is never a reason to celebrate, but in this unique season for the Pacers, future-oriented fans may welcome the opportunity to slide in the standings for a better draft pick, which is completely rational.
However, it may turn off more old-school fans, particularly those who have seen Pop and his crew dominate over the Pacers with him at the helm. Under the legendary coach, San Antonio has gone 33-13 over Indiana.
Some consolation for those rooted in beginnings could be the fact that Pop is an Indiana native. Not enough? Well, the Pacers and the Spurs have something in common: both franchises have not won a title since 2015 (hehe).
Or perhaps Rick Carlisle may want to ruin the party and delay history for his longtime adversary. Anyway, keep posted for a more in-depth preview on the next game.