Pacers Lock In Bottom-Three Record After Loss to 76ers, Secure Best Lottery Odds

The Indiana Pacers' fate is sealed. After a 105-94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, the Pacers have locked themselves into a bottom-three record in the NBA.

The Indiana Pacers have secured a bottom three record in the NBA.

They’ll have the best lottery odds to land the No. 1 pick and a top four pick.
— Alex Golden (@AlexGoldenNBA) April 11, 2026

Indiana has never finished with a record below twenty wins since they joined the NBA in 1976. If they lose on Sunday, they will secure the worst record in franchise history. If they were to win against the Detroit Pistons, they would finish with a 20-62 record and would tie for the worst record in franchise history, matching the 1982-83 season.

After the 1982-83 season concluded, the Pacers landed the second overall pick in the draft. They selected Steve Stipanovich, a center from Missouri. He played five years with the blue and gold before he retired with a degenerative left knee condition.

Apr 10, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) shoots the ball while Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Now that the Pacers know what their odds are for the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery, the focus shifts solely to that. Indiana needs the luck of the draw to be in their favor.

This loss secures that the Pacers have a 52.1% chance to retain their pick. That is the best possible percentage with the new flattened lottery odds. They will also have the best possible odds to land the No. 1 overall pick, with a 14% chance.

The other two teams that will join them in the bottom three will have the exact same odds.

Apr 10, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Taelon Peter (4) shoots the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Right now, we know that the Washington Wizards will end the season with the worst overall record in the NBA. However, the third and final team is still to be determined. The Brooklyn Nets will need to lose on Sunday in order to secure those odd and all signs point to that being the case.

So, the Eastern Conference will likely be represented in the lottery with the worst three records in the league. And with how loaded the Western Conference is, it would help balance the rosters if things were to stay the same, but that has never happened with the new flattened lottery odds.

This gap year for the Pacers is 48 hours away from coming to an end. It’s been a year full of development, battling adversity, and remembering to appreciate the good times while they’re happening, because nothing is ever guaranteed.

Final Thoughts

While fans are already looking forward to next season, the Pacers will have one more chance to leave Gainbridge Fieldhouse happy. They face the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night, and the Pistons have already clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference.

The Pistons will be incentivized to exit Sunday’s game fully healthy as they prepare for the NBA playoffs. While the Pacers would like to close the season out with a victory on fan appreciation night, to thank the wonderful people who make up Pacer Nation for showing up every single night despite how rough this season has been.

Losing games to position themselves for the best possible draft lottery odds was necessary, but hopefully the Pacers are never in this spot again.

Final Thoughts

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