As a basketball fan growing up in Indiana, I have been a fan of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers as long as I can remember.  Admittedly, my level of interest over the years has varied based on how good the team has been, so I should preface this by acknowledging that I haven’t paid much attention over the past couple of years.  But for a certain period of time during the 1990s and early 2000s, plus another window during part of the 2010s, the month of May became associated with exciting Pacers’ playoff runs.  As the team has not been very good in recent years, I got to thinking as the calendar turned to May this year of how I missed good Pacers playoff basketball.

Back in 2020, I made a list of what I considered to be the top ten greatest games in the history of my favorite football team – the Indianapolis Colts.  Inspired by that, I thought I would take a walk down memory lane and make a similar list here – a top ten list of the greatest games in the history of the Indiana Pacers.  I figured that creating this list would give me an opportunity to go back and re-live some good Pacers moments from previous years, most of which came during the month of May.

I need to include some caveats in making the list.  First of all, the Pacers used to play in a previous league, the ABA, until their adoption into the NBA in 1976.  Although the Pacers won three championships in their ABA history, I am only considering their NBA history starting in 1976 when making this list.  I don’t know enough about their ABA history to write intelligently about it, nor am I old enough to remember it.  Really, what this means is that the only Pacers games I even considered for my list started in the 1990s, since their NBA history through the 80s was mostly garbage, and since I don’t remember any Pacers games before the 90s anyway.

Secondly, no matter how good the game was, the Pacers had to actually win the game in order for it to qualify for this list.  That means that Game 4 of the 2000 NBA Finals against the Lakers, although an all-time classic, is automatically disqualified because the Lakers won that game.  Even though it might have rocketed to the top of my list if it had turned out differently, I can’t include it.  I want this to be a happy list as much as possible.

Finally, no matter how memorable the game was, even if the game was a win, any Pacers game which ended in a fight between the two teams, and then between players and fans, causing several lengthy player suspensions and ruining the reputation of the franchise for years to come, is automatically disqualified from this list as well.  I trust that I don’t have to explain why.

When making this list, I had difficult time narrowing it down to ten.  But, in looking back on my list of top ten greatest Colts games of all time, I noticed that I gave two honorable mentions, for a total of twelve games.  So, I will use that as an excuse to list more than ten Pacers games here by giving some honorable mentions.  Here are five – yes, five – honorable mentions, listed in chronological order (because I didn’t feel like ranking them 11-15), before we move on to my “official” top ten list.

Honorable Mention

March 19, 1995 vs. Chicago Bulls.  Pacers 103, Bulls 96 (OT).  This is remembered as Michael Jordan’s comeback game.  Jordan famously retired after the 1993 season and played professional baseball in 1994 before deciding to return to the Bulls in March 1995.  His first game back was a nationally televised game against the Pacers at Market Square Arena.  In a tightly-contested game, Jordan and Reggie Miller collided late in regulation in a play that forced Reggie out of the game with an injury.  The game went into overtime, when Reggie’s teammates stepped up to bring home the win.  Although one of the most-watched games in NBA history, it falls outside my top 10 because it was a regular season game, and playoff games carry more weight for consideration to be on this list.

May 10, 1998 vs. New York Knicks.  Eastern Conference 2^nd Round, Game 4.  Pacers 118, Knicks 107 (OT).  The 1990s featured several memorable playoff games in the bitter rivalry between the Pacers and Knicks.  There simply wasn’t enough room in my top 10 for all of them.  In the 1998 series between these two teams, the Pacers held a 2-1 series lead but trailed 102-99 in the final seconds of Game 4 at Madison Square Garden.  Reggie Miller then drained a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime.  The Pacers dominated in overtime for a 3-1 series lead.  The Pacers later won the series to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Bulls.

May 18, 2013 vs. New York Knicks.  Eastern Conference 2^nd Round, Game 6.  Pacers 106, Knicks 99.  The Pacers and Knicks had six memorable playoff matchups between 1993-2000, with each team winning three series each.  Then, after a 13-year hiatus, the Pacers-Knicks playoff rivalry was renewed in 2013, albeit with a different cast of characters.  Heading into Game 6 in Indianapolis, the Pacers held a 3-2 series lead.  This game is best remembered for Roy Hibbert’s block.  With the Knicks up by two points with five minutes to go, Carmelo Anthony went up for a dunk, only to have his dunk attempt swatted away by Hibbert, sending the crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse into a frenzy.  (I should know; I was at this game.)  Energized by the play, the Pacers would outscore the Knicks 16-7 in the last five minutes to pull out the victory which sent them to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat.  This was the best Pacers game I actually attended, and I wanted to put this in my top ten, but I found it too hard to replace any of the games I have on that list.

May 28, 2014 vs. Miami Heat.  Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5.  Pacers 93, Heat 90.  The Pacers teams in both 2013 and 2014 had great seasons on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals.  However, these teams also had the misfortune of running into LeBron James and the Miami Heat both times.  In 2014, the Heat had a 3-1 series lead, on the verge of advancing to their fourth straight NBA Finals.  In Game 5, Paul George scored 21 points in the 4^th quarter (37 overall) to keep the Pacers’ title hopes alive.  With Miami down by only two, Chris Bosh missed a 3-pointer that would have ended the series.  David West’s free throw with less than a second left provided the final margin, and the Pacers lived to fight another day.  This game may also be remembered for Lance Stephenson blowing in LeBron’s ear for some reason.  Although this was a great game, Miami would go on to win the series in Game 6.

April 20, 2018 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers.  Eastern Conference 1^st Round, Game 3.  Pacers 92, Cavs 90.  Also known as The Bogey Game.  This was another playoff matchup against a team featuring LeBron James, only this time, LeBron was playing for the Cavaliers.  The 2018 Pacers were led by Victor Oladipo, but in Game 3, they were led by an unlikely hero in Bojan Bogdanovic.  The sharpshooter knocked down seven 3-pointers, including the final one from WAY downtown, to lead a 2^nd half comeback.  Behind Bogey’s 30 points, the Pacers erased a 17-point halftime deficit to take the lead.  With the Pacers up by two, Cleveland’s J.R. Smith missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, and Indiana would come away with the win and the 2-1 series lead.  Cleveland would win the series in 7 games on their way to the NBA Finals, but the Pacers provided their toughest competition in the East that year.

Before I get to my top ten, I will preface this list by mentioning that every single one of these games comes from the Pacers’ “glory years” from 1994-2000.  Now that you know that information, if you are familiar with 1990s Pacers basketball, see if you can guess which games I have included on this list.  I wanted to include some of these games from more recent years, but I feel like the games I have in the top ten are too good to replace…at least for now.

10.       May 10, 1999 vs. Milwaukee Bucks.  Eastern Conference 1^st Round, Game 2.  Pacers 108, Bucks 107 (OT).  In 1999, the Pacers opened the playoffs with a Game 1 win against the Bucks, but Game 2 proved much more competitive.  Indiana seemingly had the game put away, leading 97-90 with 45 seconds left.  After the Bucks cut the lead to 99-95, a steal and 3-point play from Milwaukee’s Haywoode Workman (a former Pacer) made it a one-point game.  After two more Pacers free throws extended the lead to three, a 3-pointer from Ray Allen sent the game to overtime, tied at 101.  Down by four in overtime, Mark Jackson responded with five points for the Pacers to give them the lead again.  But after a Bucks basket and a Pacers turnover, Milwaukee had a 1-point lead and the ball in the closing seconds.  Then Jackson stole the ball from Workman, his former teammate, giving the Pacers a chance to win.  With nobody else open, Jackson hoisted a contested shot with 3 seconds remaining.  The ball clanged off the rim, but Dale Davis tipped the ball in for the game-winner with just half a second left.  The dramatic win gave Indiana a 2-0 lead in the series.  The Pacers would go on to sweep Milwaukee, and then Philadelphia, on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks that year. This game gets the nod into my top ten over my honorable mentions, since it featured a last-second game-winning shot for the Pacers (in overtime, no less).

9.         April 28, 1994 vs. Orlando Magic.  Eastern Conference 1^st Round, Game 1.  Pacers 89, Magic 88.  This game is known for Scott’s shot.  This is the game that started it all.  From the Pacers’ 1976 inception into the NBA through 1993, the Pacers were traditionally bad, and had never advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs.  Even entering the 1994 playoffs, they were a first-round underdog to the Magic, led by Shaquille O’Neal.  After fighting their way back from a 17-point 1^st half deficit in Game 1, a Reggie Miller 3-pointer in the final minute tied the game at 86.  After a basket by Shaq gave the Magic a two-point lead, the Pacers inserted reserve guard Byron Scott into the game.  After a missed 3 from Reggie and an offensive rebound, the ball found its way to Scott, who drained a 3-pointer with 2 seconds left, which would win the game.  This shot propelled the Pacers to a series sweep over the Magic and their first ever appearance in the 2^nd round.  The Pacers would then upset Atlanta and face the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.  (More on that later.)  Indiana was suddenly on the NBA map for the next several years, and their emergence into national relevance can be traced back to this one shot from Byron Scott.

8.         May 29, 1998 vs. Chicago Bulls.  Eastern Conference Finals, Game 6.  Pacers 92, Bulls 89.  The Pacers played in the Eastern Conference Finals three straight years from 1998-2000.  In 1998, with (in my opinion) the best Pacers team ever, Indiana played a very memorable series against Michael Jordan and the two-time defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls.  This series is chronicled in the 2020 ESPN documentary The Last Dance.  Game 6 wasn’t even the best game in this series (as you will read later), but it was still good enough to belong in my top ten.  After a back-and-forth battle with an unbelievable 19 lead changes, a shot from Travis Best put Indiana on top 89-87 in the final minute.  After two free throws from Jordan tied the game, the Pacers had the ball in the closing seconds.  Best drove inside and crashed into Jordan, drawing a foul on Jordan.  Two free throws gave the Pacers another two-point lead, but left the Bulls with 8 seconds to tie or win the game.  Jordan drove to the basket and fell down, which allowed Derrick McKey to steal the ball and seal the win.  McKey hit one free throw with less than a second left for the three-point margin.  With the win, the Pacers stayed alive and extended the Bulls to a deciding Game 7.

7.         May 21, 1995 vs. New York Knicks.  Eastern Conference 2^nd Round, Game 7.  Pacers 97, Knicks 95.  This is remembered as the moment in which Reggie Miller finally got past his nemesis, the Knicks.  In case you are not familiar with the Pacers-Knicks rivalry from the 1990s, it’s well-chronicled in the ESPN documentary Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks.  I would recommend this documentary to any Pacers fans, or basketball fans in general.  The Pacers and Knicks had battled each other in the playoffs in 1993 and 1994, with the Knicks coming out on top both times.  Reggie Miller had tortured the Knicks in some big games up to this point (as I will get to later), but had not yet beaten them in a playoff series.  In 1995, their 2^nd-round playoff series went to a deciding Game 7 in New York.  The Pacers started off strong, eventually taking a 15-point lead in the 3^rd quarter.  However, the Knicks would not go away, chipping their way back, and finally cutting the lead to two points on a John Starks 3-pointer with 30 seconds left.  Mark Jackson missed what would have been a game-clinching shot, and the Knicks got the ball with 5 seconds remaining with a chance to tie or win.  On the game’s final play, Patrick Ewing drove to the basket for a layup at the buzzer…and missed!  The Pacers had finally slain the dragon, with the indelible image of Reggie Miller and Mark Jackson running to half-court in an emotional moment of celebration.  The Pacers had advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals to face Orlando.

6.         May 4, 2000 vs. Milwaukee Bucks.  Eastern Conference 1^st Round, Game 5.  Pacers 96, Bucks 95.  The 2000 season ranks as the most special year in the team’s NBA history so far, because that was the one year that they actually made the NBA Finals.  However, their run to the Finals almost never happened, due to a first-round scare from the Milwaukee Bucks.  The Pacers had swept the Bucks in 1999 (as was mentioned in my #10 game), but the 2000 Bucks, set out for revenge, gave the Pacers all they could handle.  With the best-of-5 series tied at 2 games apiece, it all came down to Game 5 in Indianapolis.  It took a spectacular performance from Reggie Miller, who had 41 points to lead the Pacers.  Even with that performance, the game featured 19 lead changes, and the Pacers found themselves down 92-90 in the final two minutes before Reggie’s 3-pointer game them the lead.  But when Milwaukee’s Tim Thomas hit a 2-point shot with less than a minute left to re-gain the lead, Pacers fans everywhere said, “Uh-oh!”  With the season hanging in the balance, Travis Best, shooting 2-for-13 to that point, pulled up for 3…and missed.  But then Dale Davis grabbed the offensive rebound, and Best fired again from 3.  This time, he hit perhaps the most important shot in Pacers history for a 96-94 lead with 16 seconds to go.  Even then, the game was not over, and Milwaukee hit 1-of-2 free throws with 6 seconds left to cut the lead to 1.  When Jalen Rose missed two free throws at the other end, the Bucks had a chance to win.  But Ray Allen’s game-winning attempt at the buzzer was off, and the Pacers survived and advanced.  Without that shot from Travis Best, the Pacers never make the NBA Finals.

Halfway through my top ten, let me pause for a moment to recommend another DVD for any Pacers fans reading this.  I have the DVD set Pacers Greatest Games: Volume 1.  To my knowledge, there is no Volume 2 – just a Volume 1.  This DVD set consists of the four games that, according to whoever produced it, are the four greatest games in Pacers history.  I have watched the 4^th quarter of each of these games on DVD a few times over the years.  With that said, my own personal top five includes each of the four games on this DVD set, plus one other game that I think belongs on this list.  But which games are they?  In what order do I have them?  And where do I have this “fifth game” ranked?  Keep reading to find out.

5.         June 2, 2000 vs. New York Knicks.  Eastern Conference Finals, Game 6.  Pacers 93, Knicks 80.  This is the game that was made possible by their victory against the Bucks.  After several 1990s playoff runs that fell just short, this is the game in which the Pacers finally won the Eastern Conference championship and qualified for the NBA Finals for the first and only time in their history.  The moment was made even more special by the fact that it came against their arch-rival, the Knicks, the same team that kept them out of the NBA Finals in both 1994 and 1999.  In their 2000 Eastern Conference Finals matchup, the Pacers led the series 3-2 going into Game 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York.  With the game tied 62-62 going into the 4^th quarter, a 3-pointer from the Knicks’ Latrell Sprewell gave New York a three-point lead.  It would be the last lead the Knicks would enjoy.  Reggie Miller then took over, scoring 17 of his 34 points in the 4^th quarter as the Pacers re-took the lead and gradually pulled away.  With two minutes remaining and the Pacers ahead 81-71, the Knicks started fouling.  The Pacers hit 12-of-12 free throws in the final two minutes to cement the win, 93-80.  Unlike most other games on this list, no drama or last-second heroics were needed.  But it still makes my top five, since it gave them the only Eastern Conference championship they have won, and against their rivals.

4.         June 1, 1994 vs. New York Knicks.  Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5.  Pacers 93, Knicks 86.  This is the game in which basketball fans everywhere learned the name Reggie Miller.  In 1994, the year in which the Pacers first became nationally relevant, the team made their first ever Eastern Conference Finals.  The series between the Pacers and Knicks was tied 2-2 heading into a pivotal Game 5 in New York.  The Pacers started off slowly as the Knicks raced off to a 15-2 lead early in the game.  Heading into the 4^th quarter, the Knicks led 70-58.  That’s when Reggie caught fire.  After courtside Knicks fan and filmmaker Spike Lee had been giving Reggie the business for three quarters, Reggie responded by leading the Pacers on a 23-3 run to start the 4^th quarter to give them an 81-73 lead.  Reggie scored 19 of the team’s 23 points during this run, including five three-pointers, all the while taunting Spike Lee after each made shot.  Altogether, Reggie scored 25 points in the 4^th quarter, 39 overall, and the Pacers went on to win the game, 93-86.  As the clock wound down to zero, Reggie spiked the ball emphatically, and the Pacers had taken a 3-2 lead in the series.  Sadly, the Pacers would lose both Games 6 and 7 and fall just short of the NBA Finals.  But nobody will ever forget Game 5.

3.         May 7, 1995 vs. New York Knicks.  Eastern Conference 2^nd Round, Game 1.  Pacers 107, Knicks 105.  This is known as the “8 points in 9 seconds” game.  After losing their playoff series to the Knicks in 1994, the Pacers got the rematch they wanted in 1995.  Game 7 of this series was #7 on my list, but the series will always be remembered for the ending to Game 1.  The opener in New York featured physical play, almost 60 fouls, and a skirmish between Antonio Davis and Derek Harper which led to the ejection of both players.  Rik Smits led the Pacers with 34 points, but fouled out with less than two minutes left.  Without Smits, Indiana fell behind 105-99 lead in the closing seconds of the game.  With the crowd filing out, believing the Knicks had won, Reggie took over.  He started with a 3-pointer with 16.4 seconds remaining.  Then, he stole the inbounds pass, raced behind the 3-point line, and hit another three to tie the game.  As the Knicks’ John Starks say later, “Man, did this dude just did this?”  After the Pacers stupidly fouled Starks, he went to the free-throw line with a chance to give New York the lead again…and missed both free throws.  Patrick Ewing grabbed the offensive rebound, but missed the putback before Reggie grabbed the rebound and was fouled.  Reggie then hit both free throws to give the Pacers a 107-105 lead with 7.5 seconds left.  Between his first 3-pointer at 16.4 seconds and his second free throw at 7.5 seconds, that makes eight points scored by one player in nine seconds.  The Knicks had one more chance, but Greg Anthony fell down as time ran out, and the Pacers escaped with a two-point win in an ending that left everyone shocked.  Thanks to both this win and their Game 7 win two weeks later, the Pacers would win the series and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against Orlando.

2.         May 29, 1995 vs. Orlando Magic.  Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4.  Pacers 94, Magic 93.  Speaking of the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals against Orlando, Game 4 of that series ranks #2 on my list.  This game could be known as the Memorial Day Miracle.  Heading into Game 4 in Indianapolis, the Magic led the series 2-1.  The back-and-forth contest featured the free throw woes of Shaquille O’Neal, considered among the best centers in NBA history but a poor free throw shooter his entire career.  Shaq scored 16 points but went 0-for-8 from the free throw line before fouling out.  (Even I could have hit one free throw?)  But the game is best remembered for not one, not two, not three, but FOUR go-ahead shots in the final 14 seconds.  With the Pacers leading 89-87, Brian Shaw’s 3-pointer with 13.3 seconds left put the Magic ahead 90-89.  Reggie Miller, true to his reputation for clutch shots, answered with a 3-pointer of his own with 5.2 seconds remaining to put the Pacers back on top, 92-90.  But then Penny Hardaway hit another 3-pointer with only 1.3 seconds to go, which appeared to win the game for the Magic.  The Pacers had one last chance, inbounding the ball from half-court.  After nobody could get open, Derrick McKey finally found Rik Smits at the last possible instant.  Smits caught the ball, faked out his defender, and fired the shot just as the buzzer sounded.  Replays show the ball leaving his fingertips with barely 0.1 still showing on the clock.  The ball swished through the net, setting off pandemonium at Market Square Arena.  The shot would tie the series at 2 games apiece.  Unfortunately, the Magic would win the series in 7 games to advance to the NBA Finals.  But with both teams combining for an unbelievable four go-ahead shots in the last 14 seconds, including Smits’s game-winner, this game belongs in my top two.

Incidentally, among the games I have in my top five, this is the one game that is not included in the DVD collection Pacers Greatest Games: Volume 1.  I suppose the creators of this DVD felt that Game 1 against the Knicks that year was the better game, and I’m guessing they wanted each game in this collection to all be from different seasons.  I actually have three games from 1995 in my top seven, and two games in my top three.  The games against the Knicks that year were great, but this game against Orlando needs to be talked about as one of the greatest games in Pacers history.

1.         May 25, 1998 vs. Chicago Bulls.  Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4.  Pacers 96, Bulls 94.  The Memorial Day Miracle, Part 2.  Just like my #2 game, this game also took place on Memorial Day at Market Square Arena, but in this case, the sequel was even better.  Any game in which the Pacers beat the Bulls is a great game in my book.  The top of my list features the 1998 Pacers, the best team in franchise history, against Michael Jordan’s Bulls in Game 4 the Eastern Conference Finals – a classic game in a classic series documented in The Last Dance.  This was such a good series that I even included two games on this list – having already listed Game 6.  But Game 4 was the best one.

Chicago led the series 2-1 heading into Game 4.  In a game when Jordan sustained a cut above his eye and was forced out of the game before later returning, and with Reggie battling through an ankle injury, other players from both teams stepped up to hit key shots.  Jordan led the Bulls with 28 points, while Rik Smits led the Pacers with 26.  The Bulls led by as many as 12 points, and by as many as nine points in the 4^th quarter.  A barrage of 3-pointers from several Pacers players kept the game close before Travis Best’s driving layup cut the Bulls lead to 94-93 with 33 seconds to go.  The Pacers would get the ball back with a chance to win, but after Scottie Pippen’s steal with 6 seconds left, Indiana was forced to foul.  At that moment, the Bulls’ Ron Harper flung Reggie into the Chicago bench and Reggie went after him.  After the brief skirmish, the officials decided not to call anything on either player.  With Pippen at the free throw line with a chance to extend the Chicago lead, he missed both free throws.  The ball went out of bounds to Indiana, giving the Pacers another chance to win with 2.9 seconds left, down by one.  It was a moment perfectly set up for Reggie.  Fighting through his ankle injury, and coming off a screen, he pushed Jordan out of the way, got wide open, caught the inbounds pass, fired a 3-pointer, and hit the shot that set off bedlam in Market Square Arena.  The image of Reggie running all the way down the court and jumping around and around and around like a top perfectly sums up the excitement of the moment.  The image of head coach Larry Bird just standing there with no expression on his face was even better – and one of the funniest moments I’ve seen in sports.

And yes, Reggie got away with an offensive foul by pushing Jordan out of the way.  I don’t care.  Jordan got so many calls go his way during his career just because he was Michael Jordan, that he was due for about 1,000 calls to go against him.  So, I will issue no apologies for the no-call.

But wait!  There were still 0.7 seconds left on the clock.  There was just enough time for Jordan to win the game.  After a timeout, the Bulls inbounded from halfcourt and got it to Jordan, who got the 3-point shot away just in time.  Everyone watched as the ball banked off the backboard and went all the way in the basket…and then unbelievably spun right back out!  This set off another loud celebration from the home crowd (mixed with sighs of relief) as Pacers players mobbed each other to celebrate the most exciting finish in team history.

This win tied the series at 2 games apiece.  The Bulls may have gone on to win the series in 7 games (something I still haven’t gotten over 24 years later), but the ride up until Game 7 was special and will always remembered fondly for the Pacers standing up to the Jordan dynasty as equals.  This series was the championship that year – had the Pacers won Game 7, I believe they would have beaten Utah in the NBA Finals.  Of course, we will never know.

Those were my top ten Pacers games in their NBA history (or top 15, if you include my honorable mentions.)  Hopefully, the Pacers will get good again one day and force me to revise this list.  As exciting as these games were, I’d like to eventually put another game at the top of this list – either a game in which the Pacers win the NBA championship or one leads to a championship.  Until then, or at least until another very noteworthy game, this is my list.

By the way, practically all these games that I have mentioned here are on YouTube (either the full games or at least the highlights), in case you want to go there and check out some of these games for yourself.

How would you have ranked these games?  Did I leave any games out that should have been included on here?  Did you have a different favorite game?  Did I rank any games on here too egregiously high or low?  Feel free to leave a comment and let me know.  At any rate, I hope you enjoyed my recap and that this provided any Pacers fans reading this some good memories.  Or, if you’re not old enough to remember all these games from the 1990s (which would make me feel old), hopefully this gave you an entertaining history lesson about that local sports team.

“If you want to be a hero, you’ve got to take hero shots.”  –Reggie Miller