Indiana Pacers fans should be happy with the recognition they received from the NBA schedule makers. Next season, the Pacers will play nine nationally televised games just one season after only playing one.
Fresh off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, the Pacers are looking to repeat their success from last season with another deep playoff run. And now, the whole world will get the chance to see how Tyrese Haliburton and co. can make headlines again in 2025.
However, as NBA fans know, not every nationally televised game is created equally. So of the nine the Pacers have for next season, which five are the most important and stand as must-see TV?
1. October 25: Pacers @ Knicks
In a rematch from the second round of last season's playoffs, the Pacers will face off against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden. This will be New York's first game back home since the Pacers ended their season in Game 7 just a few months ago.
The biggest story of this game will be how the Pacers match up against the new-look Knicks. This summer, the Knicks added Mikal Bridges in a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. Additionally, they lost Isaiah Hartenstein and Alec Burks, two key role players from last year's team, in free agency.
Many predict that the Knicks will have a better finish to the season than the Pacers will. However, let's not forget what happened the last time these two teams went head-to-head. In their first nationally televised game of the season, the Pacers will have a chance to prove themselves to the world that they should not be overlooked any longer.
2. October 30: Pacers vs. Celtics
Like their game against the Knicks, the Pacers will have another playoff rematch on national television at the start of their season. Only this time, it will be Indiana that is looking to exact revenge against the reigning champion Boston Celtics.
Last season, the Celtics were the team that ended the Pacers' playoff run. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics took all four games against the Pacers in a sweep. However, many would say that the series was much closer than the sweep would suggest.
With the exception of Game 2, every game in the series was decided by five or fewer points. Additionally, it is fair to say that the Pacers were Boston's toughest opponents all postseason as they gave them the biggest challenge.
Although the Celtics will likely begin next season without star big man Kristaps Porzingis, they are still the team to beat in the Eastern Conference and the NBA.
This Eastern Conference Finals rematch will be a great measure of how the Pacers stack up against the top of the conference. Additionally, it will be a good way for the Pacers to prove that last year's playoff run was not a fluke and that they are legitimate title contenders.
3. November 22: Pacers @ Bucks (NBA Cup)
This November game against the Milwaukee Bucks is, once again, another playoff rematch for the Pacers. Indiana knocked Milwaukee out in six games during the first round last season. However, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the entire series, and star Damian Lillard was out for Games 4 and 5.
Just like against the Celtics and Knicks, this game should be another prove-it game for the Pacers, only for a different reason.
Whereas the Celtics and Knicks are widely considered the two best teams in the conference, the Bucks have become arguably the most overlooked team in the league.
Last season, after the Bucks acquired Lillard, many had them and the Celtics as the two biggest threats in the conference. Additionally, they are only three years removed from an NBA championship, making them a title favorite heading into last season. However, due to their underwhelming 2023-24 season, many have seemingly forgotten about the Bucks as a top team in the East.
While not to the same level, a lot of this can be said about the Pacers too. They are fresh off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, yet many analysts do not consider them a threat to represent the conference in next year's NBA Finals.
Both teams have a lot to prove to themselves and the world. And with this also being an NBA Cup game, stakes will be high in this matchup.
4. January 25: Pacers @ Spurs
On average, a Pacers game against the San Antonio Spurs does not mean much. The two teams are in separate conferences and, barring an NBA Cup or NBA Finals matchup, only face each other twice per season. Furthermore, they are on complete opposite sides of their respective conference standings. However, what makes this game important is mainly its location.
Next season, the Pacers and Spurs will go head-to-head for two games in Paris. However, to be direct, the Spurs are not a top team in the NBA at this point. They have unlimited potential and could potentially earn a playoff spot next season, but very few people are expecting them to be in the title picture.
However, the Pacers will have to go to Paris and face Spurs star Victor Wembanyama in his home country. Even if the Spurs are completely winless up to this point of the season, the team will likely have the whole country on their side in this matchup. Furthermore, after Wembanyama's silver medal finish in Paris during the 2024 Olympics, he may have a chip on his shoulder.
If the Pacers can silence Wembanyama and the Spurs in his home country, it could solidify them as a threat in the NBA.
5. April 10: Pacers vs. Cavaliers
In their final nationally televised game of the 2024-25 season, the Pacers will host the Cleveland Cavaliers. This game will also be one of Indiana's final games of the regular season in its entirety.
The two teams are division rivals and were neck-and-neck in the standings last season. Cleveland finished just one game better than the Pacers did. However, despite finishing with a slightly worse record, the Pacers had a better playoff run and are in a better spot than Cleveland is going into next season.
Cleveland has a good roster with an intriguing core. This summer, they extended Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley to long-term contracts. Additionally, while it has not happened yet, it is expected that Darius Garland will receive a contract extension at some point as well.
However, despite their solid roster, the Cavaliers did very little to improve this summer. Over a month-and-a-half after the beginning of the offseason, the Cavaliers have yet to make a single external addition besides drafting Jaylon Tyson with the No. 20 pick in this year's draft. There is still plenty of offseason left, but it seems that Cleveland will end up with a quiet offseason.
This late into the season, the Pacers could have the opportunity to solidify themselves as a better team than Cleveland, and potentially, as the best team in the Central Division.