1994–95 Indiana Pacers season

The 1994–95 Indiana Pacers season was the 19th season for the Indiana Pacers in the National Basketball Association, and their 28th season as a franchise. After appearing in their first Conference Finals last season, the Pacers acquired Mark Jackson from the Los Angeles Clippers, and signed free agent Duane Ferrell during the off-season.

With the addition of Jackson, the Pacers got off to a solid 14–6 start to the regular season, and later on held a 27–19 record at the All-Star break. The team posted a 25–11 record for the remainder of the season, which included a seven-game winning streak in February. The Pacers finished in first place in the Central Division with a 52–30 record, earned the second seed in the Eastern Conference, and won their first Division title since joining the NBA.

Reggie Miller led the Pacers with 19.6 points per game and 195 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team. In addition, Rik Smits averaged 17.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, while Derrick McKey provided the team with 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, Dale Davis provided with 10.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, and Jackson averaged 7.6 points, 7.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Off the bench, sixth man Byron Scott contributed 10.0 points per game, while second-year forward Antonio Davis averaged 7.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, but only played just 44 games due to a back injury, and Sam Mitchell contributed 6.5 points per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, Miller was selected for the 1995 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was his second All-Star appearance, and his first since 1990. In addition, Miller also participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout for the fourth time. Smits finished tied in ninth place in Most Improved Player voting, while McKey finished tied in sixth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and Scott finished in sixth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting.

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1995 NBA playoffs, and for the second consecutive year, the Pacers faced off against the 7th–seeded Atlanta Hawks; a team that featured All-Star guard Mookie Blaylock, Steve Smith and Stacey Augmon. The Pacers won the first two games over the Hawks at home at the Market Square Arena, before winning Game 3 on the road, 105–89 at the Omni Coliseum to win the series in a three-game sweep.

In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, and for the third consecutive year, the Pacers faced off against the 3rd–seeded New York Knicks, who were led by All-Star center Patrick Ewing, All-Star guard John Starks, and Sixth Man of the Year, Anthony Mason. Despite the Pacers winning the Central Division title, the Knicks had home-court advantage in the series since they finished with a better regular-season record. In Game 1 at Madison Square Garden, the Pacers were down by six points with 16.4 seconds left; Miller would single-handedly stun the Knicks by nailing a 3-pointer, and then stealing the inbounds pass and tying the game with another 3-pointer. Knicks fan and film director Spike Lee was just a few feet away. Miller would add two free throws and give the Pacers a legendary comeback win, 107–105. The Pacers then lost Game 2 to the Knicks, 96–77, as the series moved to the Market Square Arena; after four games, the Pacers took a 3–1 series lead. However, the Knicks managed to win the next two games to force a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. The Pacers won Game 7 over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, 97–95, as Ewing's last-second shot did not go in the basket; the Pacers defeated the Knicks in a hard-fought seven-game series.

In their second appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, and also for the second consecutive year, the Pacers faced off against the top–seeded, and Atlantic Division champion Orlando Magic, who were led by the All-Star trio of Shaquille O'Neal, second-year star Penny Hardaway, and Horace Grant. The Magic took a 3–2 series lead, but the Pacers managed to win Game 6 at the Market Square Arena, 123–96 to even the series. However, the Pacers lost Game 7 to the Magic on the road, 105–81 at the Orlando Arena, thus losing in a hard-fought seven-game series; the home team won every game in this series. The Magic would advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, but would lose to the 6th-seeded, and defending NBA champion Houston Rockets in a four-game sweep in the 1995 NBA Finals. The Pacers were familiar with their opponents during the postseason, as they faced off against the same teams that they played against in last year's playoffs, the Hawks, Knicks and Magic, but this time in different order.

The Pacers finished 16th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 654,428 at the Market Square Arena during the regular season. Following the season, Scott was left unprotected in the 1995 NBA expansion draft, where he was selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies expansion team, while long-time Pacers guard Vern Fleming signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets, Mitchell re-signed with his former team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and LaSalle Thompson was released to free agency.