The Indiana Pacers have wrapped preseason and officially started regular season games with a win on Oct. 23 against the Detroit Pistons.
The Pacers advanced in the NBA Finals during the 2023-24 season, losing in the second round of semifinals against the Boston Celtics who won the championship. Leading up to this, the Pacers beat the Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Knicks.
Coming off this great momentum, the team is looking strong and will have another good season this year. There are a few star players such as point guard Tyrese Haliburton, power forward Obi Toppin and center Myles Turner, as well as a few new players such as small forward Johnny Furphy, power forward Enrique Freeman and shooting guard Tristen Newton. These rookies could bring a lot of youth and promise to the team, and it will be interesting to see how the team plays together.
Haliburton had the opportunity to play on Team USA in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics. He gained more experience by playing with highly experienced players on the national team. It was very cool as a Hoosier to see someone represent our state and see how much he grew from the experience.
The Pacers have played four games in the preseason going 2-2. The games have been competitive, especially the last game against the Charlotte Hornets. The Pacers were down with under 10 seconds left when Ben Sheppard had a 4-point play that led into overtime and a Pacers win.
This season looks like it is going to be very promising with so much talent. If they can work as a team and stay healthy, it should be a great season. No matter the outcome this season, having the Pacers play in a stadium that is just 15 minutes away from campus gives UIndy students and the community a unique opportunity to easily attend games and support the team. Tickets can be found at ticketing/event sites like Ticketmaster and the schedule can be found on the team website.
