March Madness may be over, but watching the Pacers’ final game of the regular season, you wouldn’t know.
The Indiana Pacers put a bow on their 2024-25 regular season with a 126-118 double-overtime victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 13. The win at Rocket Arena secured the franchise’s seventh 50-win campaign.
It marked their first 50-win season for the Pacers since 2013.
Indiana finished 50-32, earning the Eastern Conference’s No. 4 playoff seed. Their record improved by three wins from the 2023-24 season, and they climbed two spots in the standings.
The Pacers’ season closer saw nine lead changes and five ties. Indiana trailed by 27 points in the third quarter. A 38-20 fourth-quarter surge forced overtime.
Quenton Jackson scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth frame and overtime. Tony Bradley added 14 points and a season-high 14 rebounds. Johnny Furphy’s fast-break dunk with 10.5 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 105-105.
Jackson said there was never a moment when he thought they would lose the game.
“I felt the whole time that we could get it done,” Jackson said. “I tried to instill that energy into my guys, and I think we all did a good job of stepping up, accepting the challenge and walking those boys down.”
The win was not only the largest comeback of the season but also the largest comeback in franchise history.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle praised the second and third units for their grit.
“I am certainly proud of the group that finished the game RayJ Dennis, Quenton Jackson, Johnny Furphy, Enrique Freeman and Tony Bradley … because of those guys, we (Pacers) have a 50-win season,” Carlisle said after the game, “I am really proud of those guys.”
Cleveland missed a potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.
The Cavaliers, already locked into the East’s No. 1 seed, rested a handful of starters, including Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Indiana native Darius Garland.
Cleveland’s Jaylon Tyson scored a career-high 31 points, and Rookie Emoni Bates added 25 points, also a career-best.
Terre Haute native Craig Porter Jr. added 20 points, knocking down four three-pointers in the contest.
The Cavs led 85-67 entering the fourth quarter before Indiana’s rally.
Indiana dominated overtime with a 21-9 second-period advantage. RayJ Dennis scored six of his 13 points in the final extra frame. The Pacers outscored Cleveland 23-6 in fast-break points after regulation.
The Pacers finished with 76 points in the paint, 18 more than the Cavaliers. Cleveland committed 22 turnovers leading to 20 Pacers points.
Balance defined Indiana’s success. Eight Pacers averaged double-digit points during the regular season.
Myles Turner anchored the defense with 1.9 blocks per game. Tyrese Haliburton, sidelined Sunday with back soreness, led the team with 10.2 assists per game. His playmaking fueled the NBA’s second-ranked offense.
Additionally, Turner became the first player in NBA history to tally 700 three-pointers made and 1400 blocks recorded in their first ten seasons.
The team weathered injuries to key players. Bennedict Mathurin missed 18 games with a calf strain. Pascal Siakam sat Sunday with elbow soreness after playing 78 games.
Indiana opens the 2025 NBA playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks.
“We’ve drawn an opponent that is playing at an extremely high level,” Carlisle said. “They have a couple of the best players in the world. We have to prepare for the kind of intensity that is necessary.”
The first-round series is a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference quarterfinals. In 2024, the Pacers upset the Bucks in six games.
Milwaukee, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, finished 48-34 this season, a record good enough for the No. 5 seed.
Last year’s playoff run saw Indiana reach the Eastern Conference Finals. They fell to the eventual champion Boston Celtics in a four-game sweep.
This year, the Celtics earned the No. 2 seed at 61-21. Indiana’s playoff aspirations hinge on health and their defensive commitments.
Haliburton’s back management and Siakam’s elbow will be monitored.
The Pacers erased a 27-point deficit without Haliburton or Siakam. Reserves Jackson, Bradley and Dennis combined for 48 points.
Cleveland’s Tyson and Bates shot 12-of-25 and 9-of-19 from the field, respectively. Indiana’s bench outscored Cleveland’s 57-29.
Second-chance points also favored Indiana 15-17. Bradley’s 14 rebounds included five offensive boards.
The Pacers are third in the league in assists (29.2 per game) during the regular season. They tallied 27 assists against the Cavaliers despite missing Haliburton.
T.J. McConnell dished six assists in 18 minutes.
The Pacers aim to advance past the first round for the second straight year. Last season’s conference finals appearance marked their deepest run since 2014.
A Pacers 50-win season suggests sustainable success. The Pacers’ best franchise record came in 2003-24’s 61-21 showing.
The coach? Rick Carlisle.
Indianapolis hopes this group can end a nearly 50-year championship drought.
For now, the focus shifts to Milwaukee, which will tip off at 1 p.m. EST on April 19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.
Carlisle had one request for Pacers fans:
“Gainbridge Fieldhouse for game 1 and game 2 (of the NBA Playoffs) has to be the craziest place on the planet.”
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more Pacers news, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
