The Indiana Pacers In-Season Tournament run has unfortunately come to an end at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers, and what a run it was. For six straight tourney games, Tyrese Haliburton and company put the NBA world on notice for reasons other than their bright neon blue courts.
The Pacers came out of nowhere and shocked fans with their incredible display of team basketball led by one of the best offensive engines in the league.
Going into the tournament, Pacers fans opinions were mixed. Some thought that it would be pointless and that $500,000 was not a suitable enough award for the players. Others, myself included, thought that it would be a great chance for one of the least covered teams in the league to show the wider basketball world what is happening in Indiana and why they have the best offense in the NBA.
However, there was more to that. For a team with multiple young players and the smallest payroll in the league, the Indiana Pacers seemed motivated and more determined than ever to come out on top and collect that prize money for the guys at the end of the bench and on two-way contracts that do not make as much as the stars and more established role players.
Impressively enough, one of the youngest teams in the NBA almost managed to pull it off, with it taking a herculean effort from LeBron James and Anthony Davis to stop Indiana right in their tracks for good.
With the Cinderella run unfortunately being over, now is a better time than ever to take a look at the Pacers In-Season Tournament run from start to finish.