[1] In the off-season, the Pacers hired former Indiana State and Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird as head coach,[2][3][4][5][6] acquired All-Star forward Chris Mullin from the Golden State Warriors,[7][8][9][10][11] and signed free agent Mark West.
[17] The Pacers won nine of their final eleven games, and returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence, finishing in second place in the Central Division with a 58–24 record.
[40][41][42][43] In the Eastern Conference finals, the Pacers faced off against Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the 2-time defending champion Chicago Bulls.
[47][48][49][50] The Bulls would go on to defeat the Utah Jazz in six games in the NBA Finals for their third consecutive championship, and sixth overall in eight years.
[58][59] A notable highlight of the season was the Pacers defeating the visiting Portland Trail Blazers, 124–59 at Market Square Arena on February 27, 1998, which marked the first time in NBA history that a team scored twice as more points than its opponent.