NBA India Games: Five things to know about the Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers won 48 games in the NBA 2018-19 campaign last season and were dumped out of the first round of the playoffs. The franchise witnessed a topsy-turvy season marred by injuries to some of the key players, including Victor Oladipo, who suffered a season-ending quad tear in late January. However, the current Pacers roster looks fresh as get ready to face Sacramento Kings in a pre-season clash at the NBA India Games in Mumbai on October 4 and 5. 

The Pacers had a busy offseason as they traded TJ Warren and acquired the services of Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb in Free Agency. The Pacers also lost Thaddeus Young and Bojan Bogdanovic. With just hours away from the NBA India Games event, here's everything you need to know about the Pacers.

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History of Pacers

The Indiana Pacers was founded in 1967, Indianapolis and compete in the Eastern Conference of the NBA, which they joined in 1976. The Indianapolis 500-inspired franchise is currently owned by Herbert Simon, an American real-estate developer based in Indianapolis.

Style of play

The Indiana Pacers are known to be a defensive team, thanks to coach Nate McMillan. He was a defender in his playing days and incidently, the Pacers had the third-best defensive efficiency last season. The Indianapolis side has appeared in the Playoffs in each of the last four campaigns, but were knocked out in the first rounds of each season. After acquiring Brogdon from Milwaukee Bucks and shooters Jeremy Lamb and Warren on board, the new-look Pacers are eyeing to go beyond the first-round hurdle in the playoffs.

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ABA success

Interestingly, the Pacers were the most successful ABA team as they bagged three ABA Championships in four years before the ABA-NBA league merger. Soon after, Pacers would go on to join the NBA along with the Denver Nuggets, New York Nets and San Antonio Spurs in 1976.

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2000 Finals heartbreak

It seemed as if 2000 was the year for the Pacers to finally race towards the NBA title. However, they succumbed in the NBA Finals to LA Lakers and the formidable duo of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Pacers lost to the high-flying Lakers in six games. Star player Roger Miller and the rest of the team did their best to tame the Lakers.  

Owner

Herbert Simon is a real estate developer. Simon, along with his brother Mel, bought the Indiana Pacers in 1983 from Sam Nassi and Frank Mariani. The franchise is worth over $1.5billion.  

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