Pacers Are 44-16 Since January 1: ‘So Many People Doing Special Things’

After a rocky start, the Indiana Pacers have saved their best basketball for when it means the most.

That would be in April and May. As you know, they won the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals on the road — or specifically, in Madison Square Garden. They lead the series over the Knicks, 2-0, with Games 3 and 4 to take place in Indiana’s Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

So, yeah, the Knicks are in serious trouble, as only five teams have overcome a 2-0 deficit when losing the first two at home. Five teams. Almost 80 years of pro basketball.

Anyway, this is nothing new for this band of Pacers, who are making their second straight appearance in the East finals. Last year, some NBA followers considered it a fluke. 

No one is making that mistake this time.

In fact, since Jan. 1, the Pacers have compiled a 44-16 record (including the playoffs). They’ve won six straight on the road — in the postseason. That’s all practically unheard of.

“What’s really special about our group is we have so many different people contributing,” star guard Tyrese Haliburton told reporters after the Game 2 win, via SI.com’s Chris Mannix. “So many people doing special things.” 

If there is anyone hotter in NBA, well, it wouldn’t be easy to find. Maybe the Oklahoma City Thunder, but that would be it. OKC is the only team with a better record than the Pacers in the same stretch.

Any matchup in the NBA Finals would be fantastic, but with the way things are going now, the best would be Indiana vs. OKC. There’s no doubt about it. And there’s no doubt that the Haliburton is correct. The Pacers have so many people who do so many special things — even though almost no one but them saw it coming.