From the NBA Finals to the Lottery: Inside the Pacers' Brutal 2025-26 Season
The Indiana Pacers entered 2025-26 as defending Eastern Conference champions, then watched the season collapse almost immediately. Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against Oklahoma City, and the Pacers confirmed he'd miss the entire year. The injury wave didn't stop there — Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin, and Ben Sheppard all missed significant time, leaving the team at just 15 wins and one of the NBA's worst records. At the trade deadline, Indiana dealt Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, and multiple picks to the Clippers for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown, pivoting toward the Haliburton return era. Andrew Nembhard has been the one bright light, averaging 17.1 points and 7.4 assists and proving he can be a legitimate starter when Haliburton gets back.
Bleed Gold: Why Pacers Fans Are Built Different
Indiana is a basketball state, and Pacers fans carry that identity with a blue-collar pride that bigger markets can't manufacture. The 'Hicks vs. Knicks' ethos isn't just a slogan — it's a worldview, rooted in decades of underdog basketball and crystallized by Reggie Miller's clutch theatrics against New York in the 1990s. Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis is consistently rated one of the NBA's best arenas, and the noise level during playoff runs has to be heard to be believed. Even through a brutal gap year, fans have packed the seats and kept Haliburton gear moving — because this fanbase knows a rebuild done right looks like a championship window, and they've already seen what that looks like.
Hicks vs. Knicks: The Rivalry That Defines Indiana Basketball
No rivalry in Pacers history cuts deeper than the one with the New York Knicks — and recent seasons have only sharpened the blade. Reggie Miller's clutch performances against New York in the 1990s set the cultural foundation, and the modern Pacers have honored that legacy twice over. Indiana eliminated the Knicks in the 2024 second round, then did it again in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals in six games to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years. Haliburton even channeled Miller's famous choke gesture after a clutch Game 1 tie in that series. Every Pacers-Knicks game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse carries the full weight of that history, and Indiana fans won't let New York forget any of it.
The Pacers Injury Report Changes Daily — Scoutcast Keeps You Current
Following the Pacers in 2025-26 means waking up every morning wondering who's hurt, whether the pick is safe, and what Haliburton's rehab looked like this week. Beat reporters are stretched thin covering a roster in constant flux, and scrolling through a dozen tabs before your morning commute isn't sustainable. Scoutcast delivers a personalized daily audio briefing built specifically for Pacers fans — Haliburton return updates, 2026 NBA Draft lottery positioning, Nembhard's latest stat line, and the Zubac trade fallout, all in under five minutes. It's the beat reporter in your earbuds, every morning, without the noise.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Pacers are 15-50 on the 2025-26 season, one of the worst records in the NBA. The team has been decimated by injuries, most critically Tyrese Haliburton's torn Achilles, and has not won a game since February 11 — before the All-Star break.
Haliburton tore his right Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals and has been ruled out for the entire 2025-26 season. He has progressed well in rehab and his return is projected for the start of the 2026-27 season, with Haliburton himself estimating roughly 15 months before his next game.
Indiana's 2026 first-round pick is top-four protected in its deal with the Clippers — if it falls fifth through ninth, it conveys to Los Angeles. The Pacers currently have a 52.1 percent chance of keeping the pick inside the top four, making every loss the rest of the season meaningful for their lottery positioning.
At the February trade deadline, Indiana sent Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks, and a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for center Ivica Zubac and forward Kobe Brown. The move signals Indiana's intent to build around a returning Haliburton and Siakam next season.
Nembhard has emerged as Indiana's most reliable player this season, averaging 17.1 points and 7.4 assists per game. He has started in place of Haliburton and delivered multiple big performances, including a 28-point, 12-assist effort against the Kings in December.
Mock drafts from Bleacher Report and SI project the Pacers landing a top-three pick, with prospects like AJ Dybantsa (BYU), Darryn Peterson (Kansas), and Cameron Boozer (Duke) topping most big boards. Pairing any of those players with a returning Haliburton and Pascal Siakam could immediately restore Indiana's contender status.
Yes. The Pacers won the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals by eliminating the New York Knicks in six games before falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. It was Indiana's first Finals appearance in 25 years and the defining moment of the Haliburton era so far.