The New York Knicks title only adds to Indiana Pacers pain

It's been a rough 12 months for Pacer fans. Quite frankly, it's been rough for a lot longer than that.

Make no mistake about it, this is a proud organization that has been very successful for a very long time. The main reason they've had so few top-10 picks in their history is because of that success. This team has been in the Eastern Conference Finals 10 times, which is the fourth most of any team in the East. They've gone toe-to-toe with Michael Jordan, LeBron James, a great Thunder team, and more. The pain isn't a result of losing. It's a result of always having something in the way of winning it all.

The following timeline may not be suitable for the eyes of young or old Pacer fans. Please be advised.

1998

If you want to relive how good and how close the Pacers were in '98, go watch the final episode of "The Last Dance." The Pacers were involved in a highly dramatic series with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, and it went to a Game Seven.

Chicago was trying to win their sixth title amid rumors of the team making big changes after that season. Not only did the Pacers take them to a deciding game, they had a five-point lead late in the 4th quarter before the Bulls eventually came out on top. This was the first of many examples with this reality: You put that Pacers team up against anyone else, in many other years, and they would have been the best team in the world. Right team, wrong year. Or so it seemed.

2000

Just a few years later, the Pacers broke through and made it to the NBA Finals. Michael Jordan was no longer in the way, so they were in great shape, right? Not quite. Instead of facing MJ, the Pacers got to face the combination of Kobe and Shaq and the Los Angeles Lakers. It could have easily been Indy's time, but instead, it was Kobe's.

The Lakers won in six games and then went on to 3-peat, becoming the new version of the 90's Bulls. The Pacers were once again the second best team in the world.

2004-2005

The Pacers had built a monster and looked poised and ready to go after their first NBA ring. In '03-'04, they had the best record in the NBA at 61-21. The Detroit Pistons added Rasheed Wallace in February and the stage was set for a showdown in the Eastern Conference Finals. The result was a painful series loss in six games, including the famous Tayshaun Prince block of Reggie Miller.

The Pacers were to blame for that series loss. Nothing really got in their way but themselves. What happened next, however, is a major part of this list. The following November, it was "The Malice at the Palace."

There are no guarantees of how that season would have played out, but it absolutely looked like the Pacers were on a mission. They looked like the best team. They looked hungry. And most of the NBA world agreed, it was their time.

And then it wasn't.

April 6, 2004; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana's Ron Artest takes a break during game action. The Indianapolis Pacers hosted the New York Knicks Tuesday night April 6 2004 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis IN. The Pacers won the game 107-86. Mandatory Credit: Sam Riche-USA TODAY NETWORK | The Indy Star-USA TODAY NETWORK

The brawl between the Pacers and Pistons not only derailed that season for Indiana, it changed the trajectory of their entire franchise. The promising future quickly turned into a sour ending to Reggie Miller's career, Jermaine O'Neal's time as a Pacer, and a new direction that shortly followed.

The LeBron Years

Some of the Pacer teams that made their fans the most proud were in the years of those Pacers/Heat battles. Fans would hold up signs that said "Built, not Bought", or "Blue Collar vs. Hollywood," and it was a team that never backed down from the hype of Miami.

At one point in time, the Pacers had accumulated nearly half of all of Miami's losses over a stretch of 50+ games. A young Paul George put the team on his back, and the question was asked yet again: "Is this their time?"

The painful reality reared its ugly head again: one of the greatest players in the history of the game was once again standing in their way. Give us those Pacer teams in many other years or eras, and they would have become champions. Instead, it was the same story, different year.

May 20, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) drives towards the basket against Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (24) during the second half of game two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Miami Heat beat the Indiana Pacers 87 to 83. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

The Injuries

If it wasn't all-time greats standing in the way, it was health. I'm convinced if Danny Granger's knees could have held up for just a few more years, the Pacers would have taken down the Heat. Paul George then went down at the peak of his career. He's later traded for Victor Oladipo who becomes an All-Star, only to suffer a horrible injury himself. That chain of events led to Tyrese Haliburton, and we all know what happened next.

Game 7, NBA Finals

After one of the most exciting and improbable runs in the history of sports, the Pacers were one win away. They had an early lead in Game 7, and Tyrese Haliburton had the look of a guy that was determined to get the job done. And then, the unthinkable happened.

Why now? Why this moment? How could this happen to this guy and this franchise?

We'll never know how that game would have ended up if Haliburton stayed healthy. It simply adds to the long list of "what-ifs" in Pacers history.

May 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) controls the ball against New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) in the fourth quarter during game five of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Lottery Fail, Knicks Win

As if the pain of Game 7 wasn't enough, the next 12 months were about as bad as it could possibly get. After a 19-63 season, it was the Pacers time to finally have some luck in the draft lottery. Right?

Wrong.

The draft lottery has been around since 1989, and the Indiana Pacers have moved up in the lottery... zero times. After a brutal ending to the Finals and brutal following season full of injuries and losses, it seemed like they would finally catch a break. That was not the case.

To make things even worse, the New York Knicks just became NBA Champions. You cannot take a title away from anybody. They earned it, and there's no denying that. From the Pacers perspective, however, you can see why this made things even more painful.

The Knicks got to dodge Indy in the Playoffs this year, then got to dodge the Thunder who lost in the WCF due to injuries. You can't help but have the same thought we've already discussed: Put last year's Pacers team in this year's Playoffs, and they probably bring the trophy home.

Once again, the Pacers franchise and Pacer fans have a lot to be proud of. They likely have a bright future with a lot of talent in place. The sting of the last 12 months will give them even more motivation to prove the doubters wrong, which is exactly where they like to be.

Even so, the pain of the past will linger until the day they finally raise that trophy. When that day comes, it will be an even sweeter victory than you can ever imagine.

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