2000–01 Indiana Pacers season

The 2000–01 Indiana Pacers season was the 25th season for the Indiana Pacers in the National Basketball Association, and their 34th season as a franchise. The Pacers were coming off of an NBA Finals defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. During the off-season, the Pacers hired former Indiana University, and Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas as their new head coach, acquired Jermaine O'Neal from the Portland Trail Blazers, and signed free agent Tyus Edney.

With the departures of veteran players from the team that reached the Finals last year, the Pacers got off to a 5–2 start to the regular season, but then struggled losing six of their next seven games, then later on holding a 21–27 record at the All-Star break. The Pacers played mediocre basketball all season long, and finished in fourth place in the Central Division with a 41–41 record; to qualify for the NBA playoffs, the Pacers needed to win 9 of their final 11 games to secure the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Last season's Most Improved Player Jalen Rose averaged 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game, while Reggie Miller averaged 18.9 points per game, and led the Pacers with 170 three-point field goals, and O'Neal provided the team with 12.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. In addition, Travis Best contributed 11.9 points, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game, while Austin Croshere provided with 10.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, and Al Harrington averaged 7.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Žan Tabak averaged 3.9 points and rebounds per game each, Sam Perkins contributed 3.8 points per game, and second-year center Jeff Foster provided with 3.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., second-year forward Jonathan Bender participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Best finished in fifth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and also finished tied in seventh place in Most Improved Player voting.

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 2001 NBA playoffs, and for the third consecutive year, the Pacers faced off against the top–seeded, and Atlantic Division champion Philadelphia 76ers, who were led by All-Star guard, and Most Valuable Player of the Year, Allen Iverson, All-Star center and Defensive Player of the Year, Dikembe Mutombo, and Sixth Man of the Year, Aaron McKie. The Pacers managed to win Game 1 over the 76ers on the road, 79–78 at the First Union Center. However, the team lost the next three games, including a Game 4 loss to the 76ers at home, 88–85 at the Conseco Fieldhouse, thus losing the series in four games. The 76ers would reach the 2001 NBA Finals, but would lose in five games to the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.

The Pacers finished tenth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 731,800 at the Conseco Fieldhouse during the regular season. Following the season, Perkins was released to free agency and then retired, while Derrick McKey signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers during the next season, and Edney and Tabak were both released to free agency.