2018-19 Indiana Pacers

Lore & Background

The Pacers endured a major setback when their star player, Victor Oladipo, suffered a season-ending knee injury in a January game against Toronto. Oladipo, who had been an All-Star starter the previous year, did not make the All-Star team in 2019 due to his injury. The Pacers struggled after Oladipo's injury, posting a 16–19 record during the rest of the season. Despite their late-season struggles, the Pacers clinched a playoff appearance and matched their 48–34 record from the previous year. The Pacers were defeated in four games by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. For the second time in three years the Pacers were swept in the playoffs, and the loss marked their fourth consecutive defeat in the first round.

In Their Own Story

The arena smelled like warm hardwood and stale pretzel salt, the way it always did in the second quarter when the concession lines thinned. A kid in row 14, maybe nine years old, wore an Oladipo jersey that was two sizes too big, the sleeves swallowing his hands. His dad, a man in a faded 1987 championship T-shirt, kept his eyes on the court but his jaw set, the way it did every night this season. On the floor, Sabonis caught a pass under the rim, spun, and laid it in with a soft touch that made the kid in row 14 whoop so loud his dad put a hand over his mouth. The scoreboard read 78-94. It didn't matter. The kid was already planning next season in his head, already believing the rebuild was a story with a third act, and the dad let him believe it because that's what you do in Indianapolis. You let them believe it. The arena hummed around them, blue and gold and stubborn, and the night rolled on.

Reader's Guide

The entry covers the NBA draft, roster, standings (division and conference), game log (preseason, regular season, playoffs), player statistics (regular season and playoffs), and transactions (free agents, re-signed, additions, subtractions).

Did You Know?

• Victor Oladipo played part of the season before suffering a season-ending knee injury in January.
• The Pacers posted a 48–34 record, matching their record from the previous year.
• The Pacers were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.