The Indiana Pacers franchise has three ABA championships since becoming a professional team back in 1967.
However, as an NBA team, the Pacers have failed to win a title, although they have come close on a number of occasions.
For this piece, we'll be taking a look at the five best teams in Pacers franchise history.
5. 1997-98 Pacers
Indiana won 58 games during the 1997-98 regular season and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Hall of Famer Reggie Miller led the team in scoring. He averaged 19.5 points per game and shot 42.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls ultimately ended the Pacers' season in '98. The Bulls defeated Indiana in seven games in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals.
4. 1999-00 Pacers
This team finished the season with 56 wins. Indiana had the fourth-best offense in the NBA. Led by Jalen Rose and Reggie Miller, Indy averaged 101.3 points. The squad was also pretty good on defense. The Pacers gave up 96.7 points a night. That was good for 12th in the league.
Indy was the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2000 playoffs and reached the NBA Finals by defeating the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks.
Indiana would have to defeat Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and the Los Angeles Lakers if it wanted to finish off its magical season with a ring. Unfortunately, the Pacers lost to the Lakers in six games in the 2000 Finals.
3. 1971-72 Pacers
The 1972 Indiana team captured 47 wins during the ABA regular season. The club was led in scoring by Mel Daniels, who put up 19.2 points in 79 regular-season games.
Indiana began the 1972 playoffs by defeating the Denver Rockets in seven games. The Pacers then needed seven more games to get past the Utah Stars to advance to the ABA Finals.
In the Finals, Indiana wound up defeating the New York Nets in six games. Freddie Lewis led Indy by putting up 22.8 points in the six-game series.
2. 1972-73 Pacers
This Indiana team won 51 games in the regular season under head coach Slick Leonard. The Pacers had a top-10 offense and defense and were tough to play on both ends of the court.
In the 1973 playoffs, the Pacers defeated the Denver Rockets and Utah Stars to reach the 1973 ABA Finals. Indy would match up against the Kentucky Colonels and win in seven games behind the stellar play of George McGinnis, who averaged 22.3 points in the series.
1. 1969-70 Pacers
Indy won 59 games in the regular season and pretty much cruised to the ABA title once the playoffs started.
The Pacers defeated the Carolina Cougars, Kentucky Colonels, and Los Angeles Stars to win the championship. The 59 regular-season wins are the second-most by an Indiana team.
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