1. Indiana Pacers 103, Orlando Magic 93 (2000)
The Peak of the Holiday: This is the undisputed “Gold Standard” of Pacers Christmas history. Coming off their first-ever NBA Finals appearance, the Pacers were a premier national draw.
The game was a duel between two generations of stars. A young Tracy McGrady exploded for 43 points for the Magic, but he was neutralized by a balanced Indiana attack. Jalen Rose led the way with 31 points, and a teenage Jonathan Bender provided the holiday fireworks with 20 points and 4 blocks off the bench. It was the last time Pacers fans truly felt like the center of the NBA universe on Christmas.
2. Indiana Pacers 101, New York Knicks 91 (1999)
The Reggie Special: There was no better way to celebrate the holiday in the 90s than by beating the Knicks. In the first-ever Christmas game at what was then Conseco Fieldhouse, Reggie Miller and the Pacers dismantled their arch-rivals.
Reggie put up 15 points, but the story was the Pacers’ suffocating defense, which held Patrick Ewing and the Knicks to just 91 points. Winning this game on national TV served as a “statement of intent” for a team that would eventually march all the way to the 2000 NBA Finals.
3. Utah Stars 150, Indiana Pacers 129 (1971)
The ABA Shootout: The Pacers’ only Christmas appearance in the ABA was a high-scoring fever dream. Despite the loss, this game is legendary for its sheer offensive output.
Rookie George McGinnis led the Pacers with 29 points, proving even then that Indiana was a factory for elite wing talent. Interestingly, the game almost didn’t happen—head coach Slick Leonard’s daughter famously wrote a letter to the ABA Commissioner complaining that her father had to work on Christmas!
4. Washington Bullets 115, Indiana Pacers 98 (1981)
The Dark Ages: Played during the “television dark ages” of the NBA, this game was barely seen outside of local markets. The Pacers were a middle-of-the-pack team entering a multi-year rebuild.
While the loss was forgettable, it marked a significant moment in franchise history as the start of a massive 15-of-19 losing streak that derailed the 1981-82 season. For Pacer fans of that era, this was the year the Grinch truly arrived early.
5. Detroit Pistons 98, Indiana Pacers 93 (2004)
The Nightmare After Christmas: This is the most painful game in franchise history. It was the first meeting between the two teams following the “Malice at the Palace” brawl just a month earlier.
The atmosphere in Indy was thick with tension. The Pacers were decimated by suspensions to Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson. While Jermaine O’Neal returned to score 21, the Pacers looked like a shell of the championship contender they were supposed to be. It was a somber, hollow game that signaled the end of an era.
Why Don’t the Pacers Play on Christmas?
The Pacers’ lack of Christmas games is a frequent point of frustration for fans. Even as the NBA expanded its holiday slate to five games in 2008, Indiana has remained off the guest list for over 21 years.
In 2025, the Pacers were widely expected to return to the holiday stage following their 2024 Eastern Conference Finals run. However, the season-ending injury to Tyrese Haliburton reportedly led the league to pivot away from Indiana in favor of larger-market matchups.
Pacers Christmas Record by the Numbers
| Metric | Statistic |
| All-Time Record | 2–3 |
| Home Record | 2–1 |
| Last Appearance | 2004 vs. Detroit |
| Longest Drought | 21 Years (Current) |
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