Though cutting short some fond memories on NBA TV’s Indiana Pacers Day, the release of the 2018-19 NBA schedule will set the stage for some new ones in the upcoming winter. The release itself is especially interesting for Pacers fans, who were shut out of any teaser dates when the league announced its tip-off and Christmas schedules on Wednesday.
That absence, while not shocking for Christmas, did lend a level of disappointment in the chance to see the Pacers competing on the national stage after last season’s success. In fact, the Pacers were just one of five playoff teams from a season ago who weren’t featured on either day and two of those teams, San Antonio and Cleveland, lost their best players in the offseason.