In just a couple of days, the Indiana Pacers will kick off the 2025 NBA Playoffs at home against the Milwaukee Bucks. This is a big moment for Pacers fans as it is the first Game 1 the team has hosted since 2020 (though it is technically the first since 2014 due to the 2020 NBA Bubble). On paper, this should be a good series in a repeat of last year's first-round playoff series, a matchup the Pacers won in six games.
Last season, the Pacers, who entered the postseason as the No. 6 seed, shocked the basketball world and made it all the way to the conference finals before getting swept by the eventual champion Boston Celtics. However, despite last year's deep playoff run (and an incredible finish to this regular season), the Pacers are still not getting the respect they deserve from the national media, with some even expecting them to lose in the first round to Milwaukee.
All season long, Pacers fans have seen the team inch closer to legitimate title contention. Despite what the national media says, Pacers fans are well aware of how big of a threat the team can be in the playoffs. And after Tyrese Haliburton's latest comments, fans should feel even more confident.
Tyrese Haliburton reveals Pacers' lofty goals ahead of playoffs
Now in his third full season in Indiana, Haliburton has turned into the team's most valuable player and is the heartbeat of their offense. He played an important role in the Pacers' conference finals run last year and will be a crucial part of their upcoming playoff run. Furthermore, according to Haliburton, he and the Pacers have goals beyond making it back to the conference finals. Instead, they expect to bring an NBA Championship to Indiana.
“I think even last year we were just satisfied with being in the playoffs,” Tyrese Haliburton said. “Everything from there was kinda playing with house money to be honest with you. This year I think we have real expectations to do something special as a group and when I say something special, I mean a championship. That’s definitely an expectation we’ve had since the start of the year. That doesn’t change.”
The Pacers have never been NBA Champions and only made the NBA Finals one time in 2000, where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. However, as it stands, there are reasons to believe in the Pacers and their expectations. They have one of the best offensive units in the NBA, and they drastically improved on defense to become a much more well-rounded team than last year's Eastern Conference runner-ups. Furthermore, they are a resilient team and will be a tough out for anybody in the playoffs.
Even if most do not consider the Pacers legitimate title threats, it seems that the team does. They will have a good opportunity to prove their doubters wrong once again when they take on the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.