Apr 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle looks on in the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks during game four of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Pacers' Rick Carlisle Moves Into Top-15 of All-Time Coaches

Originally posted on Indianapolis Pacers on SI
By Ricardo Klein | Last updated May 5, 2025 6:03 PM ET

The Indiana Pacers captured a very impressive and essential Game 1 on Sunday, defeating their division rivals, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Pacers looked fresh and renewed and like simply the better team despite the Cavaliers being the No. 1 seed in the East. Indiana showed up and showed out on the road, collecting the win and now being three wins away from advancing to what would be their second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearance.

Not only did the Pacers secure the victory, but head coach Rick Carlisle also etched his name into the record books.

Carlisle climbed to 14th on the NBA’s all-time playoff coaching wins list with the win, now holding 76 postseason victories. That mark puts him ahead of Hall of Famer Chuck Daly and three-time Coach of the Year Don Nelson, both of whom tallied 75 playoff wins over their illustrious careers.

Congrats to Rick Carlisle of the @Pacers for moving into 14th on the all-time playoff COACHING WINS list!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google pic.twitter.com/PDJ0aJiSWV
— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2025

Carlisle sits at No. 14 on the list. With four more wins, which he could accomplish this postseason, he could move into No. 13 overall, surpassing Rick Adelman.

Carlisle has been on the sidelines since 1989 when he was an assistant for the then-New Jersey Nets. He first became a head coach for the Detroit Pistons in 2001 and has since coached teams like the Pacers and the Dallas Mavericks.

Carlisle's best run as head coach was during the 2011 season when he guided the Mavericks to their first and only title in franchise history. As for his time in Indiana, Carlisle failed to lead them to the playoffs in his first two seasons, but the last two have been special.

Last season, he guided Indiana to the conference finals as the No. 6 seed. As for this season, the Pacers started a bit rocky, but since the calendar turned to 2025, Indiana has been one of the best teams.

Carlisle has proven that he is a force to be reckoned with in any era of basketball. He has led this Pacers team to a great start in the second round, and he will look to build on that for the next month-plus.

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This article first appeared on Indianapolis Pacers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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