2000 NBA Finals Appearance

Lore & Background

The 1999-2000 Pacers were the culmination of a patient rebuild under coach Larry Bird, who took over in 1997 and instilled a disciplined, defensive-minded system that turned the team into a snarling, cohesive unit. The roster was a symphony of complementary talents: Reggie Miller's dagger three-pointers, Jalen Rose's slippery drives and trash-talking swagger, Rik Smits' feathery hook shots from the post, and Dale Davis' bruising interior defense and rebounding. After dispatching the Milwaukee Bucks, outlasting the Philadelphia 76ers in a rugged second-round scrap, and finally vanquishing the New York Knicks in a grueling six-game Eastern Conference Finals—avenging years of playoff heartbreak at Madison Square Garden—the Pacers earned their first NBA Finals berth since joining the league in 1976.

In Their Own Story

The air in Conseco Fieldhouse was thick with decades of hope as Game 6 tipped off. Reggie Miller, the face of the franchise, had just carved up the Knicks in a classic conference finals, but now stood across from Shaquille O'Neal, a force of nature who seemed to bend the court with every step. The Pacers fought with a ferocity born of desperation—Jalen Rose slashing into the lane, Rik Smits hitting turnarounds over Shaq, Dale Davis and Dale Davis-level grit battling for every rebound. They pushed the Lakers to six games, even forcing Shaq to foul out in Game 6, but Kobe Bryant's fearless brilliance and the Lakers' sheer size ultimately overwhelmed them. As the final buzzer sounded, the crowd rose, not in defeat, but in recognition: this team had finally reached the mountaintop, even if they couldn't plant the flag.

Reader's Guide

The 2000 NBA Finals marked the Indiana Pacers' first and only appearance in the championship series as of the stable historical record. Occurring in June 2000, the Pacers faced the Los Angeles Lakers, who were in the early stages of their three-peat dynasty. The series is significant as the high-water mark of the Reggie Miller era, showcasing the team's resilience after years of playoff disappointments, including a 1998 Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Chicago Bulls. While the Pacers lost 4-2, they pushed the Lakers to a competitive series, with Game 4 featuring a memorable 24-point comeback by the Lakers—a gut-punch that still haunts fans. The appearance solidified the Pacers' legacy as a formidable Eastern Conference power during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and remains a cherished milestone for the franchise and its fans, a reminder of how close they came to toppling a dynasty.

Did You Know?

• Reggie Miller scored 25 points in Game 5 to force a sixth game, one of his finest playoff performances—and he did it while battling a strained right eye that left him seeing double.
• The Pacers' 56-26 regular season record was the best in franchise history at the time, a testament to Bird's coaching and the team's relentless defense.
• Larry Bird became the first person to win NBA Coach of the Year and later lead a team to the Finals as a coach—a feat that underscored his transition from legendary player to master tactician.
• The series featured a controversial Game 6 where Shaquille O'Neal fouled out with 2:33 left, yet the Lakers still won—thanks to Kobe Bryant's 26 points and a critical late-game steal.