Indiana’s 82nd game of the 2024-25 regular season will go down as one of the most exciting in franchise history, as the squad rallied back from a 27-point deficit this weekend to overcome the powerful Cleveland squad and earn their 50th victory of the campaign.
Believe it or not, with this performance the Pacers just staged their biggest comeback in club history. The yellow squad had to go into double overtime to win this contest against the Eastern Conference’s best team, 126-118.
This victory also meant Indiana reached 50 wins for the 10th time in the club’s history, and the first time this happens in over a decade. “Certainly proud of the group that finished the game. They showed so much courage and fortitude, it was amazing,” said the Pacers coach.
Carlisle could help but praise his pupils and added: “Because of those guys, we have a 50-win season, which is something to really be proud of. Everyone kept saying to hang in and get a chance. These guys were inspirational.”
The last time Indiana produced a comeback by 25 points, which was the franchise’s previous record, was during a 112-104 victory over the Pistons back in 2014. This weekend’s rally was also the biggest this campaign, beating two 26-point rallies by the Clippers and Celtics.
“I felt the whole time we can get it done,” said Quenton Jackson, who dropped 15 of his team-high 21 points in the final stages of the night. “I think we all did a good job of stepping up, accepting the challenge and then locking them down.”
After the game, the Indiana tactician attributed the roster’s depth as the most important factor. “Our guys were tired, but we were fresher,” Rick said after using 12 of their players. “We started to get some stops, Cleveland started to get tired and there was some momentum. In the second overtime, we outlasted them.”
