1989–90 Indiana Pacers season
| 1989–90 Indiana Pacers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Dick Versace |
| General manager | Donnie Walsh |
| Owner | Herbert Simon |
| Arena | Market Square Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 42–40 (.512) |
| Place | Division: 4th (Central) Conference: 8th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | First round (lost to Pistons 0–3) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WXIN–TV 59 Prime Sports Midwest (Bill Hazen, Clark Kellogg) |
| Radio | WNDE–AM 1260 (Mark Boyle, Bobby "Slick" Leonard) |
The 1989–90 Indiana Pacers season was the 14th season for the Indiana Pacers in the National Basketball Association, and their 23rd season as a franchise. The Pacers received the seventh overall pick in the 1989 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard George McCloud out of Florida State University, and signed free agents Mike Sanders, and Rickey Green during the off-season.
The Pacers got off to a fast start by winning their first four games, on their way to a solid 19–9 start to the regular season. However, the team struggled losing 14 of their next 18 games, and held a 25–23 record at the All-Star break. The Pacers played around .500 in winning percentage for the remainder of the season, finishing in fourth place in the Central Division with a 42–40 record, and earning the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Reggie Miller continued to show improvement averaging 24.6 points, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and also leading the Pacers with 150 three-point field goals. In addition, Chuck Person averaged 19.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while sixth man Detlef Schrempf provided the team with 16.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game off the bench, second-year star Rik Smits provided with 15.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game, and Vern Fleming contributed 14.3 points and 7.4 assists per game. Meanwhile, LaSalle Thompson averaged 6.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, while off the bench, Sanders contributed 6.2 points per game, and Green provided with 3.5 points and 2.6 assists per game.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Miami Arena in Miami, Florida, Miller was selected for the 1990 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was his first ever All-Star appearance. In addition, Miller also participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout for the second consecutive year. Miller finished in second place in Most Improved Player voting, behind Rony Seikaly of the Miami Heat, while Schrempf finished tied in sixth place; Schrempf also finished in second place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, behind Ricky Pierce of the Milwaukee Bucks.
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1990 NBA playoffs, the Pacers faced off against the top–seeded, and defending NBA champion Detroit Pistons, who won the Central Division title, and were led by the All-Star trio of Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, and Defensive Player of the Year, Dennis Rodman. The Pacers lost the first two games to the Pistons on the road at The Palace of Auburn Hills, before losing Game 3 at home, 108–96 at the Market Square Arena, thus losing the series in a three-game sweep. The Pistons would go on to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in the 1990 NBA Finals, winning their second consecutive NBA championship.
The Pacers finished 21st in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 518,923 at the Market Square Arena during the regular season. Following the season, Green signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers.