The 2000-01 Indiana Pacers season marked a transition period for the team. Coming off their NBA Finals appearance the previous year, the Pacers faced significant changes, most notably the departure of key player Rik Smits to retirement and coach Larry Bird stepping down. Under new head coach Isiah Thomas, the Pacers finished the regular season with a 41-41 record, placing them eighth in the Eastern Conference.
Reggie Miller continued to be a pivotal player, leading the team with his sharpshooting skills. Despite their balanced lineup, the Pacers struggled with consistency throughout the season. In the playoffs, the Pacers faced the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. They were eliminated in four games, losing the series 3-1. This season is often seen as the beginning of a rebuilding phase for Indiana, as they aimed to restructure and develop a younger roster to compete in the upcoming seasons.
- Regular Season Record: 41-41
- Playoff Result: Eastern Conference First Round: 1-3
Indiana Pacers Roster and Stats for 2000-01 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Jalen Rose | 72 | 20.5 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 33.9 | 4 | 18.0 | 4.5 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 31.3 |
| Reggie Miller | 81 | 18.9 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 36.6 | 4 | 31.3 | 5.0 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 42.9 |
| Jermaine O'Neal | 81 | 12.9 | 9.8 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 4 | 9.8 | 12.5 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 2.5 | 0.0 |
| Travis Best | 77 | 11.9 | 2.9 | 6.1 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 38.1 | 4 | 9.8 | 4.8 | 9.3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 33.3 |
| Austin Croshere | 81 | 10.1 | 4.8 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 33.8 | 4 | 10.8 | 5.0 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 20.0 |
| Al Harrington | 78 | 7.5 | 4.9 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 14.3 | 3 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tyus Edney | 24 | 4.4 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 16.7 | 2 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Žan Tabak | 55 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 2 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bruno Šundov | 11 | 3.9 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Sam Perkins | 64 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 34.5 | 3 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 25.0 |
| Jeff Foster | 71 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 28.6 | 4 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 |
| Jonathan Bender | 59 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 26.8 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Derrick McKey | 66 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 20.0 | 4 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 100.0 |
| Terry Mills | 14 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 17.6 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Lari Ketner | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Indiana Pacers in the 2001 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs First Round vs. Philadelphia 76ers
In the 2001 NBA Playoffs, the Indiana Pacers faced the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. Despite a strong effort, the Pacers were eliminated after losing the best-of-five series 3-1, with Reggie Miller's 41-point performance in Game 1 being a standout moment. The series highlighted the Pacers' transition phase following their 2000 NBA Finals appearance, as they struggled against Allen Iverson and a formidable 76ers squad.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 21, 2001 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 79-78 | |
| Apr 24, 2001 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 116-98 | |
| Apr 28, 2001 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 92-87 | |
| May 02, 2001 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 88-85 |
Indiana Pacers 2000-01 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 2000-01 season for the Indiana Pacers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 31, 2000 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 98-85 | |
| Nov 02, 2000 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 94-88 | |
| Nov 04, 2000 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 94-81 | |
| Nov 08, 2000 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 108-97 | |
| Nov 10, 2000 | @ Washington Wizards | W 86-74 | |
| Nov 11, 2000 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 94-84 | |
| Nov 15, 2000 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 92-88 | |
| Nov 17, 2000 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 92-90 | |
| Nov 18, 2000 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 97-92 | |
| Nov 21, 2000 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 101-89 | |
| Nov 23, 2000 | vs. Toronto Raptors | L 111-91 | |
| Nov 24, 2000 | vs. Washington Wizards | W 99-87 | |
| Nov 28, 2000 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 124-107 | |
| Nov 30, 2000 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 99-95 | |
| Dec 01, 2000 | @ Vancouver Grizzlies | W 86-76 | |
| Dec 03, 2000 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 92-80 | |
| Dec 05, 2000 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 88-64 | |
| Dec 06, 2000 | @ Charlotte Hornets | L 91-88 | |
| Dec 08, 2000 | @ Boston Celtics | W 104-91 | |
| Dec 09, 2000 | vs. Charlotte Hornets | W 99-96 | |
| Dec 12, 2000 | @ Toronto Raptors | L 104-90 | |
| Dec 13, 2000 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 97-92 | |
| Dec 15, 2000 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 103-95 | |
| Dec 16, 2000 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | L 113-110 | |
| Dec 19, 2000 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 90-85 | |
| Dec 20, 2000 | vs. Toronto Raptors | L 99-98 | |
| Dec 22, 2000 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 109-101 | |
| Dec 23, 2000 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 91-87 | |
| Dec 25, 2000 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 103-93 | |
| Dec 27, 2000 | @ Miami Heat | L 91-79 | |
| Dec 30, 2000 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 89-77 | |
| Jan 02, 2001 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 91-83 | |
| Jan 03, 2001 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 102-86 | |
| Jan 05, 2001 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 93-91 | |
| Jan 08, 2001 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | W 85-82 | |
| Jan 09, 2001 | @ Utah Jazz | L 103-99 | |
| Jan 11, 2001 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 93-85 | |
| Jan 13, 2001 | vs. Miami Heat | W 87-71 | |
| Jan 15, 2001 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 89-74 | |
| Jan 18, 2001 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 84-76 | |
| Jan 21, 2001 | @ New York Knicks | W 87-74 | |
| Jan 25, 2001 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 92-82 | |
| Jan 28, 2001 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 86-81 | |
| Jan 30, 2001 | @ Orlando Magic | L 93-86 | |
| Jan 31, 2001 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 102-96 | |
| Feb 02, 2001 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 103-94 | |
| Feb 03, 2001 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 104-85 | |
| Feb 06, 2001 | @ Miami Heat | L 102-89 | |
| Feb 13, 2001 | vs. Charlotte Hornets | L 77-66 | |
| Feb 15, 2001 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 82-73 | |
| Feb 18, 2001 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 110-109 | |
| Feb 23, 2001 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 92-90 | |
| Feb 25, 2001 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | W 110-100 | |
| Feb 26, 2001 | @ Charlotte Hornets | L 82-72 | |
| Feb 28, 2001 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 99-86 | |
| Mar 02, 2001 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 86-83 | |
| Mar 04, 2001 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 120-96 | |
| Mar 06, 2001 | @ New York Knicks | L 97-83 | |
| Mar 07, 2001 | vs. New York Knicks | L 79-75 | |
| Mar 09, 2001 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 99-84 | |
| Mar 11, 2001 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 95-78 | |
| Mar 13, 2001 | @ Houston Rockets | L 127-118 | |
| Mar 14, 2001 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 95-83 | |
| Mar 16, 2001 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 103-97 | |
| Mar 18, 2001 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 101-95 | |
| Mar 20, 2001 | @ Toronto Raptors | L 102-81 | |
| Mar 21, 2001 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 96-95 | |
| Mar 23, 2001 | vs. Vancouver Grizzlies | W 95-75 | |
| Mar 25, 2001 | @ Orlando Magic | L 84-82 | |
| Mar 27, 2001 | @ Washington Wizards | W 110-102 | |
| Mar 29, 2001 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 104-93 | |
| Mar 30, 2001 | @ Boston Celtics | W 92-87 | |
| Apr 01, 2001 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 104-93 | |
| Apr 03, 2001 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 85-81 | |
| Apr 06, 2001 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 100-93 | |
| Apr 08, 2001 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 108-83 | |
| Apr 09, 2001 | vs. Washington Wizards | W 100-78 | |
| Apr 11, 2001 | vs. New York Knicks | W 100-93 | |
| Apr 13, 2001 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 113-108 | |
| Apr 15, 2001 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 93-86 | |
| Apr 17, 2001 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 111-105 | |
| Apr 18, 2001 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 105-101 |