The fourth seed’s road to winning the championship: Historical stories and the Pacers’ opportunities

The team's regular season record does not necessarily lead to the championship, but it is usually positively correlated with the probability of winning the championship. It is quite difficult for a fourth-ranked team to win the championship, because it means that it is not the strongest in the division. So which teams have reached the finals as the No. 4 seed? Let’s take a look at a few historical examples.

1969 Celtics: defeated the Lakers 4-3 to win the championship

The Lakers lineup in the late 1960s was star-studded, with players such as West, Baylor and Chamberlain, but they often lost to the Celtics in the finals. In the 1968-1969 season, the Lakers met the Celtics again. At that time, the Lakers ranked first in the West, while the Celtics ranked only fourth. However, the Celtics showed a tenacious overall strength, reversing the Lakers 108-106 in Game 7, which decided on the victory.

1978 Supersonics: The Finals lost 3-4 to Washington Bullets

The late 1970s was a chaotic period in NBA history, and no team could dominate the whole situation. After winning the championship in 1977, the Supersonics entered the finals as fourth in the West District the following year, against the Washington Bullets. Although the Supersonics took the lead in the first game, the bullets led by inside superstars Hayes and Anseld eventually won the championship.

2006 Mavericks: 2-4 loss to the Heat in the finals

Although the Mavericks advanced as the No. 4 seed at that time, their strength was not inferior to the Spurs. Under Nowitzki's leadership, the Mavericks entered the finals after twists and turns. They took the lead in the first two games, but were reversed by the Heat and eventually lost.

2010 Celtics: The Celtics lost 3-4 to the Lakers in the finals

The regular season Celtics showed their age due to injuries and age problems, but they relied on Rondo's rise and the experience of veterans to enter the finals and eventually lost to the Lakers.

2018 Cavaliers: Losing 0-4 to the Warriors in the finals

Cavaliers experienced personnel changes. James' personal ability supported the team to reach the finals for the fourth consecutive year, but was eventually swept by the Warriors.

Pacers' Chance in 2025:

Pacers enter the finals as the fourth seed when people are not optimistic. If they can win in the finals, they will become the second team in history to be crowned as the fourth seed champion.