As the NBA prepares to reveal every team's schedule for the 2024-25 season, a little sneak peak was provided to everybody in the basketball world as the schedule for the Christmas Day games were announced.
Outside of opening night and the postseason, the Christmas Day games are likely the most important and exciting slate of games that take place all year. The five-game marathon is always entertaining as it includes the league's best teams in thrilling matchups.
However, despite their Eastern Conference Finals run in 2024, Indiana Pacers fans will not be able to see their team play on Christmas Day. The Athletic's Shams Charania revealed on social media what the Christmas Day slate looked like for the NBA this year, and Indiana was not one of the teams chosen.
NBA Christmas Day games for the 2024-25 season, per sources:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 9, 2024
🎄Spurs at Knicks
🎄Timberwolves at Mavericks
🎄76ers at Celtics
🎄Lakers at Warriors
🎄Nuggets at Suns
To make matters worse for the Pacers, the New York Knicks, one of their biggest rivals in the league and the team they eliminated in the second round of the playoffs this year, will take on the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day.
The Indiana Pacers are constanly being overlooked despite their best season in 10 years
Although they were four wins away from making the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000 (and the second time in franchise history), many analysts and basketball personalities still do not seem to believe in the team's ability to contend for a championship.
When talking about which teams can represent the Eastern Conference for the finals next year, the Pacers are rarely ever brought up. Instead, teams like the Knicks, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers are getting all the hype so far this summer.
However, despite likely being considered underdogs for next season, this bodes well for the Pacers. Nobody expected them to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals this year, but they did. And despite ultimately getting swept by Boston, who went on the win the championship against the Dallas Mavericks, many would say the Pacers were their toughest opponent.
The Pacers are in a great position to compete moving forward. Although they will not play on Christmas Day this year, the team should get their respect in due time.