Where do the 2025 Pacers rank among the most random finals teams ever?

[Po pimp]

81 Rockets

If I’m not mistaken, they’re the only team to make the Finals with a losing record

 

[WhoShotCha]

In retrospect, given they made the ECF last season, it's really hard to categorize them as being "random". They ran it back with the same playoff rotation and they made it one step further this time around.

Surprising, sure, but not random.

This.

 

[Piff Huxtable]

I don't get the premise when the Mavs last year and the Heat the year before were more shocking

 

[Illin Degenerate]

27-8 over their last 35 games, 63.2 win pace or over a longer stretch 53-22 over their last 75 games, 57.9 win pace. for the overall season the pacers were 13th in srs and 12th in net rating, by those metrics they would probably be the worst team to win an nba title and with okc having arguable goat metrics this would be the biggest upset in finals history.

ppl will use whichever of the above data to say the result and competitiveness of the finals should have been expected. im inclined to look at the 58 and 63 win pace and say they have a legit shot to pull off the upset.

 

[O.iatlhawksfan]

Idk how it’s random werent they in the ECF last season

 

[Soldier]

2019 raptors

The Raptors from 2014 to 2020 were very very good.
In 2014, 15, 16, 18, 19, and 20 they won the Atlantic division title

In 2014 the raps finished third in the east. But lost to the old Brooklyn Nets in 7 in round 1.

In 2015 they were ranked fourth in the east, but got swept by the wizards in round 1.

In 2016, the raps were the second seed and made the conference finals but lost to the powerful top seeded Cavs there.

In 2017, Toronto finished third in the east but got swept by the Cavs in the second round. Boston actually won the Atlantic division that year.

In 2018, they finished first in the eastern conference standings. But they got swept by the cavs in round 2 again.

In 2019, they finished second in the east and they won the Larry O’Brien trophy/NBA championship for the first time ever .

In 2020, despite kawhi Leonard leaving for the clippers and danny green leaving for the lakers in free agency the previous summer, they were still good enough to finish second in the east without him. They easily swept the nets in round 1 but they lost a hard fought, close seven game series to the Celtics in round 2. If Siakam played just at a mediocre level instead of being bad, Toronto wins that series.

 

[Baka's Weird Case]

If I’m not mistaken, they’re the only team to make the Finals with a losing record

‘59 Lakers also and ‘57 Hawks too

 

[Cladyclad]

The Miami heat went to two finals in the last 5 years

that don’t sound real

 

[UpAndComing]

The 2025 Pacers are only "random" to Knicks fans

 

[Art Barr]

Pacers have been playing the best basketball in the playoffs.

@jerniebert
You have always been a good poster.
Another low key good post.


Art Barr

 

[Road20]

They were in the ECF las year. So not random. The Knicks believe it or not would have been random. No one had them in the ECF

 

[DlAMONDZ]

We saw a play-in team make the finals 2 years ago

A 50 win 4th seed isn't random at all

 

[Art Barr]

That is What happens when you utilize your size rick.
Dunk by turner.
Then you too small the other way.
They convert.

Then get haliban gets stripped. When his other options are too little.

Sit nembhard and nesmith.

There are three days rest.

F'oh pete christ sakes and the finals.

Art Barr

 

[RhodyRum]

Are the 1993 Suns in the conversation?

 

[Illin Degenerate]

Based on what you thought of them before the playoffs. The consensus was that the Cavs and Celtics were the clear cut 2 best teams in the East, then it was a gap to the Knicks who they owned then Indiana.

Like imagine telling people both the Cavs and Celtics would not make the ECF.

i think everyone pointed out all the reasons its not surprising, but at the same time there is an argument for why its the most surprising finals appearance. indiana had two 60 win teams in their conference, there have been instances where two 60 win teams in the same conference didnt make the finals, but the srs for those 60 win teams 94-95 and 06-07 seasons werent as high as the cavs/celtics and the teams that made the finals those seasons didnt have an srs as low as these pacers.