As the Pacers push through the NBA Finals, their balanced approach and defensive identity are drawing strong comparisons to a team that shocked the league in 2011.

There's no questioning it: the Pacers have officially passed the Milwaukee Bucks. But there are hard lessons to be learned.

Indiana coach Rick Carlisle offered an impassioned and somewhat unprompted defense of referee Scott Foster on Sunday, evidently aware of the mountains of online criticism that came after Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Blockbuster NBA Trade Idea Pairs Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo With 21-Year-Old Superstar originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Giannis Antetokounmpo has not requested a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks. The future Hall of Famer recently said he wants to get back to the NBA Finals with the Bucks, the only franchise he's played for.

Even if you’re just a casual NBA fan, chances are you know exactly who Tyrese Haliburton is. The Indiana Pacers player has established himself as one of the best young point guards in the league. And if you watched his team’s playoff run in 2025,

117.4 PPG (7th in NBA): Indiana's offense was a force to be reckoned with, averaging 117.4 points per game, good for 7th in the league. Their up-tempo "Pace" ranked 7th as well, at 99.9.

The Indiana Pacers have been one of the biggest surprises in the NBA in the 2025 playoffs. For the past three rounds, they have overcome the opposing teams.

Caitlin Clark's courtside presence fuels Pacers' playoff run, with the team now 8-0 in games she’s attended this postseason.

Tyrese Haliburton’s penchant for last-second heroics showed up again for the Indiana Pacers in a Game 1 win over the heavily favored Oklahoma City Thunder.

On their path to the NBA Finals, the Indiana Pacers outlasted every club they played. Since the 2025 playoffs began, the team’s performance has taken many by surprise.