Jermaine O’Neal sits atop the list for most rebounds in a playoff game for the Pacers.
The Pacers have been around since 1967-68 and have made the playoffs 29 times. There have been a slew of memorable postseason moments for the franchise, including as recently as the 2025 season. Without further ado, here are the best five rebounding performances by Pacers players in the history of the NBA Playoffs, where one particular name grabs most of the attention.
Jermaine O’Neal, 22 Rebounds (2003 NBA Eastern Conference First Round, Game 5)
O’Neal was one of the best rebounding players of his generation, and until injuries slowed him down, he was one of the elite post players in the early 2000s in the NBA. Even though his defensive game was a bit ahead of his offensive contributions, his biggest asset was his rebounding ability, so it’s not surprising to see him grab four of the five spots in this list. This 22-rebound performance came in a 93-88 overtime win over the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2003 NBA Playoffs. He finished that game with 19 points, 22 boards, three blocks, an assist and a steal across 50 minutes.
Jeff Foster, 20 rebounds (2005 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 2)
There are a few things that stand out about this performance from Foster, and the first one is that he grabbed 20 rebounds while coming off the bench in this 92-83 win over the Detroit Pistons. The journeyman big man logged 30 minutes in this game and finished with a loaded stat line of 14 points, 20 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks across 30 minutes. Undoubtedly, though, the most impressive fact about this stat line is the fact that 10 of his 20 rebounds came on the offensive glass.
Jermaine O’Neal, 20 rebounds (2003 NBA Eastern Conference First Round, Game 2)
O’Neal grabbed at least 20 rebounds twice during the 2023 NBA Playoffs, and this was a game in which the big man managed to make an impact on both ends of the court. During this 89-77 win over the Boston Celtics, O’Neal finished with 23 points, 20 rebounds and a block across 44 minutes.
Jermaine O’Neal, 20 rebounds (2001 NBA Eastern Conference First Round, Game 1)
O’Neal wasn’t as dominant in the 2021 NBA Playoffs as he’d end up being a few years down the road, but this was one of the games in which he showed glimpses of the player he was going to become. Playing against the Philadelphia 76ers in a 79-78 win during the postseason opener for both clubs, O’Neal dazzled on both ends of the court and recorded an impressive double-double of 12 points, 20 rebounds and three blocks before fouling out across 46 minutes.
Jermaine O’Neal, 19 rebounds (2003 NBA Eastern Conference First Round, Game 6)
O’Neal’s dominant performances during the 2003 NBA Playoffs started in the first-round matchup against the Boston Celtics, and three of the games in this list were outings in which O’Neal owned the glass against Boston, perhaps knowing he had the matchup advantage against Antoine Walker. Unfortunately, the Pacers couldn’t take advantage of O’Neal grabbing at least 19 boards three times in the series since they lost by a 4-2 score. O’Neal finished this Game 6 defeat with a stat line of 25 points, 19 rebounds and three blocks across 44 minutes.
