The 1990–91 Indiana Pacers season was the 15th season for the Indiana Pacers in the National Basketball Association, and their 24th season as a franchise.
Season summary
Off-season During the off-season, the Pacers signed free agent Michael Williams. For the season, the Pacers redesigned their primary logo, replacing the color blue with dark navy blue to their color scheme of golden yellow and white. The team's primary logo featured a dark navy blue letter "P", with a golden yellow basketball with dark navy blue seams, and with golden yellow lines on the left side of the letter "P", above the team name "Pacers" in dark navy blue; the team removed the white arm, and the state name Indiana from their previous logo.
The team also redesigned their home and road uniforms. The white home uniforms featured a golden yellow, white and dark navy blue trim, and golden yellow and dark navy blue side panels on the right side of their jerseys and shorts, while the road uniforms were changed from blue to dark navy blue, and featured a dark navy blue, white and golden yellow trim, and white and golden yellow side panels; both uniforms featured the team's primary logo on the left leg of their shorts.
The team's new primary logo would remain in use until 2005, while the new uniforms would last until 1997; the basic design of the logo currently remains in use as of 2026.
Regular season With the addition of Michael Williams, the Pacers struggled with a 9–16 start to the regular season, as head coach Dick Versace was fired and replaced with assistant coach Bob Hill. Under Hill, the team held a 19–27 record at the All-Star break, posted a six-game winning streak in February, and played above .500 in winning percentage for the remainder of the season. The Pacers finished in fifth place in the Central Division with a 41–41 record, and earned the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference.
Reggie Miller averaged 22.6 points, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and led the Pacers with 112 three-point field goals, while Chuck Person averaged 18.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, and sixth man Detlef Schrempf provided the team with 16.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game off the bench, and was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year. In addition, Vern Fleming provided with 12.7 points and 5.3 assists per game, while Michael Williams contributed 11.1 points, 4.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game, and Rik Smits averaged 10.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Meanwhile, LaSalle Thompson averaged 7.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, Mike Sanders contributed 5.8 points per game, second-year guard George McCloud contributed 4.6 points per game, and Greg Dreiling provided with 3.5 points and rebounds per game each.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, rookie power forward, and second-round draft pick Kenny Williams participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Despite stellar seasons, neither Miller or Person were selected for the 1991 NBA All-Star Game. The Pacers finished 25th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 465,650 at the Market Square Arena during the regular season, which was the third-lowest in the league.
NBA playoffs In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1991 NBA playoffs, the Pacers faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Atlantic Division champion Boston Celtics, who were led by the quartet of All-Star forward, and former Indiana State University star, Larry Bird, Reggie Lewis, All-Star forward and sixth man Kevin McHale, and All-Star center Robert Parish. The Celtics took a 2–1 series lead, but the Pacers managed to win Game 4 at home, 116–113 at the Market Square Arena to even the series. In Game 5 at the Boston Garden, and during the second quarter, Bird fell down on the court and landed hard on the right side of his face, as he had to go to the locker room; despite the injury, Bird returned to the game and finished with 32 points, as the Celtics defeated the Pacers, 124–121. The Pacers lost to the Celtics in a hard-fought five-game series.
Draft picks
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 2 45 Antonio Davis PF UTEP 2 46 Kenny Williams PF Elizabeth City State
Roster
Regular season
Season standings
y - clinched division title x - clinched playoff spot
z - clinched division title y - clinched division title x - clinched playoff spot
Game log Regular season
| 1 | November 2, 1990 | New Jersey | W 100–81
| Market Square Arena | 1–0 |- | 2 | November 3, 1990 | @ Atlanta | L 120–121
| The Omni | 1–1 |- | 3 | November 6, 1990 | Minnesota | W 98–96
| Market Square Arena | 2–1 |- | 4 | November 9, 1990 | Cleveland | W 122–107
| Market Square Arena | 3–1 |- | 5 | November 10, 1990 | @ Miami | L 105–120
| Miami Arena | 3–2 |- | 6 | November 13, 1990 | Philadelphia | L 100–108
| Market Square Arena | 3–3 |- | 7 | November 14, 1990 | @ Cleveland | L 95–113
| Richfield Coliseum | 3–4 |- | 8 | November 16, 1990 | Miami | W 106–80
| Market Square Arena | 4–4 |- | 9 | November 17, 1990 | @ Orlando | L 89–96
| Orlando Arena | 4–5 |- | 10 | November 21, 1990 | Detroit | L 100–108 (OT)
| Market Square Arena | 4–6 |- | 11 | November 23, 1990 | Houston | W 112–111
| Market Square Arena | 5–6 |- | 12 | November 24, 1990 | @ Washington | L 105–107 (OT)
| Capital Centre | 5–7 |- | 13 | November 27, 1990 | @ Milwaukee | L 98–112
| Bradley Center | 5–8 |- | 14 | November 28, 1990 | @ Philadelphia | L 106–116
| The Spectrum | 5–9 |- | 15 | November 30, 1990 | @ Chicago | L 95–124
| Chicago Stadium | 5–10
| 16 | December 2, 1990 | Milwaukee | W 107–103
| Market Square Arena | 6–10 |- | 17 | December 4, 1990 | @ Minnesota | L 81–83
| Target Center | 6–11 |- | 18 | December 5, 1990 | Phoenix | W 126–121
| Market Square Arena | 7–11 |- | 19 | December 7, 1990 | Portland | L 105–127
| Market Square Arena | 7–12 |- | 20 | December 8, 1990 | Cleveland | W 114–99
| Market Square Arena | 8–12 |- | 21 | December 11, 1990 | @ Portland | L 96–122
| Memorial Coliseum | 8–13 |- | 22 | December 12, 1990 | @ Seattle | L 90–99
| Seattle Center Coliseum | 8–14 |- | 23 | December 15, 1990 | @ Utah | W 124–116
| Salt Palace | 9–14 |- | 24 | December 16, 1990 | @ L.A. Lakers | L 112–115
| Great Western Forum | 9–15 |- | 25 | December 19, 1990 | Washington | L 112–114 (OT)
| Market Square Arena | 9–16 |- | 26 | December 21, 1990 | Charlotte | W 137–114
| Market Square Arena | 10–16 |- | 27 | December 22, 1990 | @ Chicago | L 118–128
| Chicago Stadium | 10–17 |- | 28 | December 26, 1990 | @ Boston | L 132–152
| Boston Garden | 10–18 |- | 29 | December 29, 1990 | New Jersey | W 114–105
| Market Square Arena | 11–18
| 30 | January 2, 1991 | San Antonio | W 121–109
| Market Square Arena | 13–17 |- | 31 | January 4, 1991 | @ Atlanta | L 96–111
| The Omni | 13–18 |- | 32 | January 5, 1991 | @ Houston | L 99–112
| The Summit | 13–19 |- | 33 | January 8, 1991 | L.A. Clippers | L 107–122
| Market Square Arena | 13–20 |- | 34 | January 10, 1991 | @ New York | W 129–122
| Madison Square Garden | 14–20 |- | 35 | January 12, 1991 | Milwaukee | W 118–110
| Market Square Arena | 15–20 |- | 36 | January 15, 1991 | Atlanta | L 106–117
| Market Square Arena | 15–21 |- | 37 | January 16, 1991 | @ Milwaukee | L 119–126
| Bradley Center | 15–22 |- | 38 | January 19, 1991 | Utah | W 117–104
| Market Square Arena | 15–23 |- | 39 | January 21, 1991 | L.A. Lakers | L 114–120
| Market Square Arena | 15–24 |- | 40 | January 23, 1991 | @ Philadelphia | W 110–109
| The Spectrum | 16–24 |- | 41 | January 25, 1991 | @ Washington | W 106–100
| Baltimore Arena | 17–24 |- | 42 | January 30, 1991 | Charlotte | W 123–105
| Market Square Arena | 18–24
| 43 | February 1, 1991 | @ Miami | L 113–116
| Miami Arena | 18–25 |- | 44 | February 2, 1991 | Seattle | W 106–100
| Market Square Arena | 19–25 |- | 45 | February 5, 1991 | @ Dallas | L 109–114
| Reunion Arena | 19–26 |- | 46 | February 7, 1991 | @ San Antonio | L 108–118
| HemisFair Arena | 19–27 |- align="center" |colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Break |- style="background:#cfc;" |- bgcolor="#bbffbb" |- | 47 | February 12, 1991 | New York | L 110–114
| Market Square Arena | 19–28 |- | 48 | February 13, 1991 | @ Detroit | W 105–101
| The Palace of Auburn Hills | 20–28 |- | 49 | February 17, 1991 | Sacramento | W 113–110
| Market Square Arena | 21–28 |- | 50 | February 19, 1991 | @ Charlotte | W 115–102
| Charlotte Coliseum | 22–28 |- | 51 | February 20, 1991 | Orlando | W 122–120 (OT)
| Market Square Arena | 23–28 |- | 52 | February 22, 1991 | @ Cleveland | W 106–98
| Richfield Coliseum | 24–28 |- | 53 | February 24, 1991 | Boston | W 115–109
| Market Square Arena | 25–28 |- | 54 | February 26, 1991 | @ New Jersey | L 104–129
| Brendan Byrne Arena | 25–29 |- | 55 | February 27, 1991 | Dallas | L 104–108
| Market Square Arena | 25–30
| 56 | March 1, 1991 | Cleveland | W 118–115
| Market Square Arena | 26–30 |- | 57 | March 2, 1991 | Chicago | W 135–114
| Market Square Arena | 27–30 |- | 58 | March 4, 1991 | @ Boston | L 101–126
| Hartford Civic Center | 27–31 |- | 59 | March 5, 1991 | Charlotte | W 112–101
| Market Square Arena | 28–31 |- | 60 | March 7, 1991 | Denver | W 145–125
| Market Square Arena | 29–31 |- | 61 | March 9, 1991 | Detroit | L 112–114
| Market Square Arena | 29–32 |- | 62 | March 12, 1991 | @ Golden State | L 117–129
| Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena | 29–33 |- | 63 | March 14, 1991 | @ Sacramento | W 107–103
| ARCO Arena | 29–34 |- | 64 | March 15, 1991 | @ L.A. Clippers | W 121–109
| Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena | 30–34 |- | 65 | March 17, 1991 | @ Denver | W 130–92
| McNichols Sports Arena | 31–34 |- | 66 | March 18, 1991 | @ Phoenix | L 103–111
| Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 32–34 |- | 67 | March 20, 1991 | Miami | W 117–107
| Market Square Arena | 33–34 |- | 68 | March 22, 1991 | Boston | W 121–109
| Market Square Arena | 34–34 |- | 69 | March 23, 1991 | @ Chicago | L 119–133
| Chicago Stadium | 34–35 |- | 70 | March 26, 1991 | Atlanta | W 123–113
| Market Square Arena | 35–35 |- | 71 | March 27, 1991 | @ Detroit | L 93–102
| The Palace of Auburn Hills | 35–36 |- | 72 | March 31, 1991 | Golden State | W 127–120 (OT)
| Market Square Arena | 36–36
| 73 | April 3, 1991 | Philadelphia | L 112–114
| Market Square Arena | 36–37 |- | 74 | April 5, 1991 | Washington | W 117–103
| Market Square Arena | 37–37 |- | 75 | April 6, 1991 | @ Atlanta | L 110–137
| The Omni | 37–38 |- | 76 | April 9, 1991 | @ Charlotte | W 122–120
| Charlotte Coliseum | 38–38 |- | 77 | April 10, 1991 | Chicago | L 96–101
| Market Square Arena | 38–39 |- | 78 | April 12, 1991 | @ New York | L 108–112
| Madison Square Garden | 38–40 |- | 79 | April 14, 1991 | Detroit | W 125–107
| Market Square Arena | 39–40 |- | 80 | April 16, 1991 | @ New Jersey | W 132–126
| Brendan Byrne Arena | 40–40 |- | 81 | April 19, 1991 | New York | W 130–118
| Market Square Arena | 41–40 |- | 82 | April 20, 1991 | @ Milwaukee | L 100–133
| Bradley Center | 41–41
Playoffs
| 1 | April 26, 1991 | @ Boston | L 120–127 | Reggie Miller (24) | Detlef Schrempf (10) | Chuck Person (7) | Boston Garden14,890 | 0–1 |- | 2 | April 28, 1991 | @ Boston | W 130–118 | Chuck Person (39) | Dreiling, Schrempf (7) | Micheal Williams (10) | Boston Garden14,890 | 1–1 |- | 3 | May 1, 1991 | Boston | L 105–112 | Miller, Schrempf (20) | Detlef Schrempf (10) | Micheal Williams (7) | Market Square Arena16,530 | 1–2 |- | 4 | May 3, 1991 | Boston | W 116–113 | Chuck Person (30) | LaSalle Thompson (7) | Micheal Williams (9) | Market Square Arena16,530 | 2–2 |- | 5 | May 5, 1991 | @ Boston | L 121–124 | Chuck Person (32) | LaSalle Thompson (9) | Micheal Williams (10) | Boston Garden14,890 | 2–3
Player statistics
Regular season