From Auburn Mountain to G7! Pacers Famous Tears: What was not done back then, the children will do it

In the early morning of the Indiana Bankers' Life Arena, the lights were getting dimmed, but the shouts from the stands were still ramming around the ceiling. In the G6 of the just-concluded finals, the Pacers beat the Thunder 108-91, dragging the series to a 3-3 tie - this is the second time that they have entered the finals in the history of the team, and it is also the closest they have to the O'Brien Cup. On the sidelines of the court, Artest's suit jacket was placed on his arms, his eyes were still red. This "Grastic Brother" who only joined in 2001 is now like an old father who just finished watching the child's game: "When I was playing here, I always felt that there was something missing in this city. Now I understand - it's the taste of a champion. They have been waiting for 25 years and it's time to try it. "

{25 years, it's not short. In the 1999-2000 season, the Pacers entered the finals with the first place in the Eastern Conference with 56 wins and 26 losses, but were sent away 2-4 by the OK group. That year, four veterans with 30+ were Reggie Miller, 35 years old and Schmitz, 32 years old, gritted his teeth and fought, but he just couldn't touch the trophy. What about now? Schmitz, who was sitting on the sidelines, tapped his knees with his fingers - he had been playing with the Pacers for 12 years and was the center of the team back then. "At that time, we always felt that we could win with the experience of old tricks," he smiled. "Now, these kids, 25-year-old Halliburton, with a group of 20-year-old boys, can even score 20 points as the scoring champion. Team basketball? This is the real team. "

This is heart-wrenching, but it is also true. In the 2004 Auburn Mountain incident, Arte, Jackson and O'Neal Jr. were severely punished, directly destroying hope for the championship. Pacers at that time were always labeled as "violent"; what about now? In G6, the starting five players scored in double digits, and the bench could also get the "X factor" of the tie. Even Artai sighed: "We always thought about 'who can carry explosive bags ', and now they are 'who can hand over explosive bags ' - this is the way the league should learn to build a team. "

Speaking of which, the rise of this Pacers is like a counterattack drama. At the beginning of the regular season, he had 16 wins and 18 losses, with a winning rate of less than 50%; as a result, he suddenly started to cheat in 2025, winning 34 games with the remaining 48 games, and finally losing 50 wins and 32 losses in the Eastern Conference, the fourth place to enter the playoffs. What's even more amazing is the playoffs - playing the Bucks G5, one time behind 20 points, Halliburton dragged back in overtime; playing the Cavaliers G2, and buzzed three-pointer in the final quarter; playing the Knicks G1, and 17 points behind in the last 6 minutes, making a comeback; G1 in the finals, 9 points behind in the last 3 minutes, and narrowly won 111-110. The US media has calculated that the probability of escaping from death in these four games is one in 1.5 million - they all won.

"You think this is luck?" Jackson rubbed his hands on the sidelines. He was one of the protagonists of the Auburn Mountain incident back then. "Our group of people lost because they wanted to prove themselves too much. Now these kids only have the brains of 'how to win'. " Just like G6, the Thunder are pressing against the whole game? It does not exist. He flattened the baseline with an empty cut and dunked with both hands, Halliburton passed the ball after pick-and-roll, and even Nembhard on the bench could make a key three-pointer - no one snatched the shot, only "I will solve the ball when I get to me."

Stephenson is more direct, and when the big screen cuts to him, the cheers of the audience can overturn the roof. This "Lance Brothers" left the Pacers in 2016 and is still a fan favorite: "Trick seven? It's difficult, but look at them playing - no one is self-first. The last game was tied for 20 points, the next game may be Nesmith, and the next game Halliburton. How can such a team lose? "

The last game is left now. Schmitz touched the seat in the stands, which was where he sat in the past: "12 years of youth, from 22 to 34, he wanted to bring a championship to the city. Now, the children are going to do it for us. "Artest suddenly stood up and patted the back of the young player next to him: "Remember, you are not playing a game, you are writing Indiana's history. "

The last page of history is just this "pen". 25 years ago, they lost to the talent of the OK group; 25 years later, they have to prove it with team basketball - some waiting is worth it. And if they really win the trophy, they might tell the entire league: basketball has never been a one-man show for superstars. When 15 people work together, miracles will really happen.

Wait until that night, the night in Indiana, it may be very bright.