INDIANAPOLIS — Fifteen thousand Pacers fans packed Gainbridge Fieldhouse Saturday night in hopes of watching the team make history.
"I'm so excited. I'm the doubter and he was like they're going to go all the way. I'm like they're not going to beat the Celtics. They're not going to beat the Bucks and we are in the finals so I'm like we are going to beat the Lakers," said Joy Temple, a Pacers fan.
The team headed to Las Vegas to take on the Los Angeles Lakers for a chance to win the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament.
"I think it's going to be a pretty tough match-up. It's going to be a pretty tough fight," said Scott Johnson, a Pacers fan.
Johnson also said the team worked hard to get to this moment and that they were looking forward to watching a good game.
The Pacers might've been hundreds of miles away in Las Vegas, but fans cheered them on right at home inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse while watching the game on the video board.
"I cannot imagine the energy that's going to be in there tonight. I'm so excited to be a part of it," Temple said.
"I think it will mean a lot to them knowing the fans are here to support them even though they're not here. A couple thousand miles away," Johnson said.
As if the game itself wasn't exciting enough, Reggie Miller's legendary voice echoed throughout the stadium as he used his talents, this time as an analyst on the broadcast.
"It's awesome. It's great for the city. It's great for the team. A lot of people don't talk about the Pacers. It's putting them back on the map," said Jordan Hettinger, a Pacers fan.
The team went on to lose against the Lakers 109-123, but fans were still not disappointed.
"We are just excited that they're doing so great right now. Win or lose they're winners to us," Temple said.
This game was the only one in the tournament that didn't count in the standings, but there was still plenty on the line. In addition to taking home the trophy, Lakers players on standard two-way contracts each made $500,000 and the Pacers received $200,000 apiece. Players on two-way deals take home half those amounts.
The Lakers led most of the game, though Indiana kept in striking distance until Los Angeles went on a 15-3 run late in the fourth quarter to turn in a 100-96 lead into a 115-99 advantage.