Pacers set franchise record with 63 losses in season finale

Pacers set franchise record with 63 losses in season finale

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) leaps with Indiana Pacers guard Kobe Brown (24) on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle high-fives fans on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers stand for the national anthem on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) stands on the court watching team introductions Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) thanks the fans on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) guards Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) on Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) walks up the court Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers center Jay Huff (32) goes in for a lay-up against Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) on Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) celebrates a throw-point basket Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) scores a three-point basket Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrates Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) three-point basket Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) leaps with Indiana Pacers guard Kobe Brown (24) on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

1 / 11

The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) leaps with Indiana Pacers guard Kobe Brown (24) on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle high-fives fans on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers stand for the national anthem on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) stands on the court watching team introductions Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) thanks the fans on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) guards Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) on Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) walks up the court Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers center Jay Huff (32) goes in for a lay-up against Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) on Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) celebrates a throw-point basket Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) scores a three-point basket Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrates Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) three-point basket Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Center Paul Reed scored 26 points on 11 of 11 shooting to lead the first-place Pistons to a 133-121 win over the Pacers on Sunday night in the regular season finale at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, giving the Pacers their worst record in franchise history.

The Pacers finished 19-63, the second-worst record in the NBA ahead of only the Washington Wizards. That's the worst mark in franchise history, eclipsing the 20-62 mark the Pacers posted in the 1982-83 season. The Pistons finish the regular season 60-22 and will enter the Eastern Conference playoffs with the No. 1 seed. It's the first time they've won 60 games since 2005-06.

Forward Tobias Harris added 24 points for the Pistons. Center Isaiah Stewart scored 16 points off the bench and wing Kevin Huerter had 15. All-Star guard Cade Cunningham had 14 assists. Forward Obi Toppin and guard Quenton Jackson led the Pacers with 21 points each. Jackson added eight assists. Forward Kobe Brown had 20 points. Guard Ethan Thompson had 18, center Micah Potter had 15 points and 11 rebounds and center Jay Huff had 13 points and five blocks.

Here are three observations.

Pacers overwhelmed in the paint again

The Pacers worst blowout losses of the season usually have a familiar pattern to them. In the games that get out of hand they're usually out-manned in terms of available bodies and in terms of size and in terms of top defenders and that usually means they give up a lot of points and particularly points in the paint. Heading into Sunday's game, they were 28th in points in the paint allowed with only the Wizards and Mavericks giving up more.

It was no surprise it happened again on Sunday considering the first-place Pistons played everybody but center Jalen Duren in Game 82 and the Pacers had nine players ruled out including next year's likely starting five. The Pacers had enough offensive juice to make for a reasonably competitive first half, but the Pistons scored at the rim almost at will all night so the Pacers had no ability to keep up.

Detroit posted 46 points in the paint in the first half alone, scoring 40 points in each of the first two quarters to go into the break with 81 overall. The Pistons were shooting nearly 70% at the break, making 32 of 46 field goals. In the second quarter alone, they missed just three shots making 16 of 19.

The Pistons didn't get as many at the rim in the second half, but they still got plenty and finished with 62 points in the paint on the night making 31 of 47 field goals in the lane. Even with Duren out, the Pacers couldn't stop the Pistons bigs. Paul Reed started in Duren's place and was nearly unstoppable, scoring 26 points on 11 of 11 shooting. Forward Tobias Harris was almost as good scorign 24 points on 9 of 12 shooting. Isaiah Stewart came off the bench and got into some shoving matches but he also scored 16 points on 7 of 9 shooting. The Pistons also hit 15 3-pointers and finished the game shooting 56.2% from the floor. The Pacers, meanwhile, scored just 36 points in the paint.

Obi Toppin closes season strong with seven 3s

Though most of the Pacers' veterans shut it down with minor injuries in the season's final week, forward Obi Toppin played out the string in large part because he'd missed so much time this season. A stress fracture in his right foot kept him out from the season's third game in October until February and the Pacers' fate was effectively sealed by the time Toppin returned to the floor.

However, Toppin wanted to test out his surgically repaired, get his conditioning right and enter the offseason feeling normal. Though he's been on a minutes restriction, he played through the season's final day and he put on a a show on Fan Appreciation Day.

Toppin has grown as an outside shooter and he leaned into the 3-ball on Sunday. He hit three 3s in the first quarter, then hit three more in the second including two on consecutive possessions. He hit another in the third to finish with seven 3s for 21 points.

And he also sent fans into the offseason with a reminder of what he can do in the open floor, though it didn't count for points. He caught the ball on a breakaway at the end of the third quarter and the buzzer sounded before he could take off, but he still did a between-the-legs dunk -- his first since the injury. It didn't count but it brought one of the biggest ovations of the night.

Jay Huff plays 82

In a season that was defined entirely by who didn't take the floor on given nights, the Pacers had one player who managed to avoid the injury bug all season and take the floor every night. Center Jay Huff, acquired in July after the Pacers lost starting center Myles Turner to free agency, played a combined 31 NBA games in his first three professional seasons before finally playing 64 with the Grizzlies last season. This year, though, on one of the most injury ravaged teams in the NBA, Huff played in all 82 and was rarely even listed on the injury report.

Huff made contributions in the last game of the season too. He fouled out with 1:23 to go, but he scored 13 points, grabbed three rebounds, dished out three assists and blocked five shots. And he also got into some heated and physical confrontations with Isaiah Stewart.

Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers vs. Pistons: Indiana sets franchise record with 63 losses