Where does Sunday’s win rank among all-time Pacer victories?
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
Sunday’s Game 7 victory at Madison Square Garden was one for the history books. The young and inexperienced Pacers team walked into one of the craziest environments in sports and responded with an NBA-playoff record by shooting 67% for the game. It was easily the biggest Pacers win in at least a decade, and it got me thinking: Where does that victory rank among all-time Pacer wins?ย I asked the fans on Twitter, and I received a ton of great responses with a wide variety of opinions. Click on the tweet to see the replies.
For some of the younger fans, they ranked it as number one. A lot of long-time fans ranked it in their top 10. I decided to compile a list of my top-10 Pacer victories of my lifetime. I wasn’t alive for the ABA Championships, so those won’t be included for me personally. This list is mostly about how the win made me feel in the moment that it happened, as opposed to how big the win itself was for the franchise.ย Here we go!
10. Game 6 victory over the Knicks- 2013:
The Roy Hibbert block on Carmelo Anthony will be remembered forever. The city really rallied around that team, and this win propelled them to the Eastern Conference Finals. (Check the second tweet below for highlights!)
9. Game 6 victory over Miami- 2013:
Though the Pacers would eventually lose to the Miami Heat, I had to include at least one win from that series on this list. The Pacers were #BuiltNotBought, and this team went toe-to-toe with LeBron and Wade in an epic rivalry for a few seasons. This win gave a lot of life to the city, sending the series back to South Beach. Paul George was excellent in this game, as you’ll see in this video:
8. This year’s Game 7 victory at Madison Square Garden:
Sunday’s victory comes in at number 8 for me. When you consider all of the factors: Media picking against them, home teams were 6-0 in the series, Pacers a year or two ahead of schedule… It was truly an incredible win to witness. For this inexperienced team to waltz into MSG and dominate in historic fashion? It was a thing of beauty.
7. Rik Smits game-winner- 1993:
The “Memorial Day Miracle.” Smits hit the game winner in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, sending the city into a frenzy.
6. 8 points, 9 seconds- 1995:
This one doesn’t need much explanation. It’s one of the most iconic moments in NBA history.
5. Game 6 victory over the Bulls- 1998:
When you think of Travis Best, you probably think of his game winner against Milwaukee. The Pacers point guard was also huge down the stretch in this Game 6 victory over Chicago. This win forced a Game 7 with the mighty Bulls, and gave us Mark Boyle’s iconic call- “Can you say Game 7?!!?!” The Pacers would ultimately lose in a hard-fought Game 7 in Chicago. As we saw from “The Last Dance,” the Pacers were the team that were “a problem” for Jordan’s Bulls.
4. Game 7 win at New York- 1995
“Ding-Dong the witch is dead!” The Pacers take down the Knicks in Game 7 at the Garden in one of the most iconic series’ in franchise history.
3. Travis Best sends the Pacers to the 2nd round- 2000:
It was only a first-round game, but it meant everything to the franchise. The Pacers survived the 5-game series against the pesky 8-seed Milwaukee Bucks. Best had struggled throughout the game, but hit one of the biggest shots in franchise history. The Pacers would go on to win the Eastern Conference and play in the NBA Finals for their one and only appearance.
2. Miller for the win, YES!ย Game 4 victory over the Bulls- 1998:
In terms of shear excitement, this one is probably the biggest moment for the Pacers franchise. This shot by Reggie tied the series 2-2 with Chicago and it showed the world Indiana was here to give Jordan and the Bulls all they could handle.
1. Pacers win the Eastern Conference, Game 6- 2000:
Coming in at number one: The Pacers finally win the series in the Eastern Conference Finals and are headed to the NBA Finals. In one of many iconic moments at Madison Square Garden, this one sent Indiana to the championship.
