Although the Indiana Pacers are the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, the casual NBA fan hasn't caught what makes the Rick Carlisle-coached team tick. Where their recent success stems would surprise NBA fans and analysts. The Pacers shockingly trumped the Boston Celtics in a significant statistical category.
Over the past 10 games, the Pacers' 6-4 record doesn't pose as a juggernaut team. However, upon digging deeper into the record and how they hold a winning mark despite missing stars for multiple games, what's revealed will make any NBA fan raise an eyebrow.
Indiana ranks 11th in defensive rating over its previous 10 games, trailing the wing-dominant-defense Los Angeles Clippers 113.3 to 112.6.
In the current era, considering the significant increase in pace, using team scoring averages doesn't tell the entire story of how great a defense is. In previous eras, holding teams under 100 points was the standard.
However, handcuffing opposing teams in the low 100s usually points to a sound defensive performance.
Ironically, at least one team has scored 120-plus points in six of the Pacers' last ten games. Even with the Pacers' defense allowing such scoring bursts, notably from the injury-ravaged Dallas Mavericks, the Pacers flirt with a top-10 defensive rating.
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The Pacers' defense is improved to the point where they lapped the reigning NBA champion Celtics.
In the same allotted stretch, the Celtics rank 18th, directly sandwiched by the Miami Heat and the Washington Wizards. Although the Celtics have a championship pedigree and a record that implies they could win their second consecutive NBA championship, they haven't played like such a team lately.
If the Pacers maintain such a defensive effort in the 2025 postseason, their chances for another deep playoff run increase significantly.
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This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 12:28 PM.