Loser: Indiana Pacers
Not only did they get swept by the Miami Heat, but they also didn’t even look competitive.
It’s understandable as All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis left the bubble before the playoffs began with an injury, Victor Oladipo went back-and-forth on his inclusion before eventually playing and while he still played, TJ Warren was dealing with his own case of plantar fasciitis.
The Sabonis news hurt, but Indiana was used to Victor missing time as he missed the first few months recovering from a ruptured quad tendon he suffered late last season.
Overall, this was an expected outcome; it was a case of ‘injured team loses to healthy team’. Despite having a worse record, Miami might’ve even been better on paper given their late trade deadline acquisitions.
Where it gets worse is that the Pacers fired head coach Nate McMillan shortly after the sweep. In the official statement from Kevin Pritchard and the Pacers, they cite his 17-36 career playoff record and 3-16 playoff record with the team, along with thanking him for his last few years, of course.
Whether you think his dismissal was fair or not or if he never got a true chance to prove himself as he didn’t always have the healthiest roster come playoff time, it doesn’t matter anymore.
The Pacers are looking for a head coach, alongside a number of other teams and the next coach has a lot of pressure to perform.
Adding to the mix, SNY’s Ian Begley reported that teams are “eyeing” the Indiana star and The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson saying Miami is looking to add the guard.
Winning cures all, but when you’re not winning, it can get a bit dicey.