Pacers Eliminated From Playoffs: First Team Out After NBA Finals Run

It was just nine months ago that the Indiana Pacers were battling it out in the NBA Finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder. It had been 25 years since their last Finals bid in 2000.

Fast forward to the last 17 games of the 2025-26 regular season, and the Indiana Pacers have become the first team in the NBA that’s officially knocked out of playoff contention.

While riding a 10-game losing streak, Indiana has yet to tally a win since the All-Star break. Let’s break down the Finals hangover the Pacers are currently going through.

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Pacers’ Long List of Injuries in 2025-26

Every team in sports runs into injury scares throughout any given season, but the Pacers’ pattern of setbacks started as far back as Game 7 of the NBA Finals when Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon. This ultimately led to the All-Star guard missing out on the entirety of the 2025-26 season.

Obi Toppin was one of the Pacers’ key role players in their Finals run last season. Toppin suffered a partial stress fracture in his right foot on Oct. 26 that required surgery. The forward has been limited to just nine games this season and is currently on a minutes restriction after returning on Feb. 26.

T.J. McConnell is still being utilized as the Pacers sixth man despite Haliburton’s season-ending injury. McConnell was dealt a left hamstring strain during the preseason and missed the first month of the season. He suffered a similar injury to his right hamstring in early March. This has forced the in-your-face guard to sit out 18 games so far this season.

Since getting traded to Indiana at the Feb. 5 deadline, Ivica Zubac has yet to make his Pacers debut due to a lingering left ankle sprain. Although there’s no set timetable for Zubac’s return, head coach Rick Carlisle has mentioned that the double-double machine will play at some point this season.

Aaron Nesmith, who exploded as one of Indiana’s sharpshooters in last year’s playoffs, missed over a month after suffering a left MCL injury on Nov. 13. He would then return before suffering a left ankle sprain on Feb. 19. He’s missed 28 games so far this season.

2024 second-round pick Johnny Furphy was in line for a larger workload this season given the number of injuries on the Pacers. He averaged over 20 minutes a game in his last 19 appearances for Indiana before suffering a torn ACL on Feb. 8. He’s set to miss the rest of the 2025-26 season.

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Pacers In Line For Bounce Back Year in 2026-27

Although it’s a season that Pacers fans are going to try to forget, some positives have come from it. Each player listed will have a much longer offseason to recover and return while being under contract with Indiana for next year.

After losing a key part to their NBA Finals run, Myles Turner, as he elected to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency, the Pacers found his replacement in Ivica Zubac during trade season.

Not just this, but trading away the Pacers’ 2026 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers in the Zubac trade “gives Indy an incentive to improve its lottery odds this year before the team attempts another championship run next season,” ESPN’s Jamal Collier stated.

The Pacers will look to have a similar lineup that helped get the franchise to its second NBA Finals berth in franchise history.

 

Toran Flores is a sports reporter located in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He’s covered news in the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. His work has been featured on platforms like FanSided, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Lakers All Day Everyday, and others.

In his free time, Toran enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active, and traveling. More about Toran Flores