2000–01 Indiana Pacers season

The 2000–01 NBA 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 #8 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 team 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 off the bench, while Austin Croshere provided with 10.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game also off the bench, and Al Harrington averaged 7.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. 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, the Pacers faced off against the Philadelphia 76ers for the third consecutive year. Regular season MVP Allen Iverson and the top-seeded 76ers would need only four games to eliminate the Pacers, who managed to win Game 1 on the road at the First Union Center, 79–78, but lost the final three games of the series. The 76ers would reach the 2001 NBA Finals, but would lose in five games to the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Following the season, Sam 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 was also released to free agency.