Fans Were Foolish To Doubt the Indiana Pacers |May 17, 2025

Bleacher Report predicted the Cavs to beat the Indiana Pacers in the 2nd round.  ESPN only had 7 of their 12 experts picking them to beat the Bucks in the first round. Both were very wrong, with the Pacers advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals in 5 games. Everyone should have seen this coming.

For the Indiana Pacers, Have It When It Counts

With the basic stats, they look like a basic team, with the Indiana Pacers being 7th in PPG and a straight-up bad 17th in opposing points per game. But when you look deeper, you will see a whole other story. The Pacers have it where it counts, especially come playoff time. Efficiency.

The Indiana Pacers are 3rd in True Shooting %, 4th in Effective Field Goal % overall, and 2nd in 4th quarter PPG. Plus, the Pacers, after a rough start to 2024, became one of the best teams in 2025. They have the fourth-best record in 2025. This shows momentum fans choose to ignore for the likes of the Clippers’ much more recent and shorter 8-game win streak heading into the NBA Playoffs.

There Were Many Narrative Reasons To Doubt the Indiana Pacers As Well

Some of the reasons were star player Tyrese Haliburton being picked as the most overrated NBA player by his colleagues. Or how much of a fluke the Indiana Pacers’ run to the ECF was last season. Giannis Antetokounmpo was out when the Pacers faced the Bucks in round 1 last year. Then in the 2nd round the Knicks were missing many of their best players like Josh Hart, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and OG Anunoby. Indiana was then swept by the Celtics in the ECF.

This Is Why You Never Doubt the Important Numbers

With some of the Indiana Pacers’ insane comebacks this playoffs, like the 7 points in 39 seconds in Game 2 against Cleveland showed, fourth quarter scoring is so important in the playoffs. With so many close games, being able to come up clutch is essential. Efficiency, however, is also very important in the playoffs, as it shows a few different strengths.

Indiana has a balanced offensive attack. All five of their starters are averaging at least 14 PPG. Teams that rely on one or two scorers are less efficient and are easier to stop in the playoffs because if you figure out how to limit them, you limit the offense. With a team like the Indiana Pacers, if you stop their top two options, there’s a pretty good chance two or three others will have a great day, making them harder to stop.