NBA: Pacers go from Finals to early exit in a year
The axe has fallen on the Indianapolis franchise. After a tenth straight loss to Sacramento, the Pacers’ slim playoff hopes are dead. They’ll be watching the playoffs from the sofa in April. Stark contrast — nine months after they stood on the league’s biggest stage against the country’s best teams.
The crash started at the first whistle this season. The Pacers lost 13 of their first 14 games and the mood went bleak fast. Tyrese Haliburton’s absence — injured in the final game of last year’s Finals — set off the tumble down the standings.
A brutal slide — but it’s not unusual in NBA history
It looks extreme, but it’s familiar turf. Plenty of teams have fallen hard after touching the top. The Lakers set the template in 2005, the Heat followed a decade later, the Cavaliers crashed in 2019, the Warriors collapsed in 2020 and the Mavericks stumbled last season.
There’s almost always a missing engine. Los Angeles never recovered from Shaquille O’Neal leaving. Miami and Cleveland paid the price for LeBron James’ roster shake-ups. Golden State lost Kevin Durant and then watched key players rack up serious injuries. Dallas were undone by the surprise midseason Luka Doncic trade and Kyrie Irving’s repeated spring absences, which killed any chance of a late surge.
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