On Wednesday night, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Boston Celtics in a thrilling overtime victory. Despite blowing a 24-point lead in the second half, the Pacers walked away with the win, giving the reigning champions their first loss of the season.
In addition to the team's fantastic performance, Pacers fans can be happy about some NBA history being made, specifically regarding head coach Rick Carlisle.
Rick Carlisle wins 945th game, moves to 11th on all-time coaching wins list
After leading his team to victory against the Celtics, Carlisle has won the 945th game of his head coaching career. This win moves him past Bill Fitch, who brought Carlisle in as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets in 1989.
The next coach on the list is Rick Adelman, who coached the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, and Minnesota Timberwolves for over two decades. At 10th place, Adelman earned 1,042 wins.
It is mathematically impossible for Carlisle to move into the top 10 this season. However, depending on how well the Pacers do for the rest of the season, passing Adelman next year could be a legitimate possibility.
While this achievement is impressive, as only 11 head coaches in NBA history can say they have won at least 945 games, the bigger narrative is that it further solidifies Carlisle's case for the Hall of Fame.
Of the 10 coaches ahead of Carlisle on the list, eight of them are in the Hall of Fame. Only Doc Rivers and Gregg Popovich (who are both active) are not in the Hall of Fame, but there is no doubt both of them will end up earning this honor when their careers are all said and done.
In addition to his wins, Carlisle has an impressive coaching resume. He won Coach of the Year in 2002 while with the Detroit Pistons, and he led the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA title in 2011. Additionally, he is one of the best offensive-minded coaches in the game, especially in recent history.
By the time he retires, Carlisle should sit firmly in the top-10 list of coaching wins and will likely remain there for a long time. The only active head coach close to catching up to him is Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who currently has 752 wins and sits in 19th place.
Carlisle has built up quite the resume. However, it is fair to assume the only thing he cares about right now is leading the Pacers to an NBA championship, something they have never accomplished in franchise history.