Rick Carlisle enjoyed a bright moment during a down season Thursday. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
The Pacers have spent much of this season making the wrong kind of history—few defending conference champions have struggled like Indiana in 2026. However, on Thursday, they made the right kind of history for their longtime coach.
The Pacers defeated the Hornets Thursday 114–112 [to give coach Rick Carlisle the 1,000th win](https://x.com/Pacers/status/2009459560449470518) of his NBA career. In addition to adding Carlisle’s name to an exclusive club, Indiana’s victory snapped a 13-game losing streak—the longest in franchise history.
The last win for the Pacers before Thursday came exactly a month ago, when they knocked off the Kings 116–105 on Dec. 8.
Here’s a look at the club Carlisle joined Thursday.
**COACH**
**YEARS**
**FRANCHISE(S)**
**WINS**
Gregg Popovich
1997 to 2025
Spurs
1,390
Don Nelson
1977 to 2010
Bucks, Warriors, Knicks, Mavericks
1,335
Lenny Wilkens
1970 to 2005
SuperSonics, Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, Hawks, Raptors, Knicks
1,332
Jerry Sloan
1980 to 2011
Bulls, Jazz
1,221
Pat Riley
1982 to 2008
Lakers, Knicks, Heat
1,210
Doc Rivers
2000 to present
Magic, Celtics, Clippers, 76ers, Bucks
1,178
George Karl
1985 to 2016
Cavaliers, Warriors, SuperSonics, Bucks, Nuggets, Kings
1,175
Phil Jackson
1990 to 2011
Bulls, Lakers
1,155
Larry Brown
1977 to 2011
Nuggets, Nets, Spurs, Clippers, Pacers, 76ers, Pistons, Knicks, Bobcats
1,098 (excludes 229 wins with ABA’s Carolina Cougars and Nuggets)
Rick Adelman
1989 to 2014
Trail Blazers, Warriors, Kings, Rockets, Timberwolves
1,042
Rick Carlisle
2002 to present
Pistons, Pacers, Mavericks
1,000
Carlisle became, along with Rivers, one of two coaches to win 1,000 games entirely within the 21st century. The ex-Maine, Virginia, Celtics, Knicks and Nets guard is the second 1,000 game winner to patrol the sidelines for all three of his teams: the Pistons (Brown), Indiana (Brown), and the Mavericks (Nelson).
With the win, the Pacers moved to 7–31 on the season. They are 10.5 games out of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot, and pacing for their lowest winning percentage in franchise history.
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