3 in 1,679 Odds: What the Indiana Pacers Just Taught Us About Bar Prep

If you don’t follow the National Basketball Association, let me introduce you to a team that my older son and I cheer for year-round: the Indiana Pacers. They’re an NBA team based in Indianapolis (less than a two-hour drive from Dayton) and, like many Midwestern franchises, they’ve spent most of their history flying under the national radar. They haven’t won a NBA championship. They aren't located in a major media market. But what they do have is grit, effort, and—lately—a lot of heart.

Over the past eight days, they did something so statistically improbable that it immediately reminded me of what bar prep often feels like.

According to ESPN, in the last 20 years, NBA teams trailing by 7 or more points in the final 48 seconds of the 4th quarter or overtime have a combined record of 3 wins and 1,679 losses.

Read that again: 3 wins. 1,679 losses.

That’s a 0.18% win rate. Essentially, a lost cause.

But here’s where it gets wild: Two of those three wins? They came from the Indiana Pacers—in the past eight days.

Let that sink in.

A team that historically hasn’t gotten much national attention just defied one of the most daunting odds in professional sports—twice in nearly a week's span.

And that’s where you come in.

You’re probably at the starting line of your summer bar prep journey. It probably feels intimidating. The outlines are long. The clock is ticking. And the stakes couldn’t feel higher.

At some point, you’ll feel behind. Maybe it’ll be because you missed a few study blocks. Maybe you’ll score lower than you hoped on a practice MBE set. Maybe your essays and performance tests feel like a mess. Or maybe you’re just mentally exhausted and wondering how you're supposed to keep this up for two full months.

And that’s when I want you to remember this:The Pacers didn’t panic.

They could have accepted the loss. Statistically, they should have. But they didn’t. They made smart plays, trusted their training, and stayed calm. And they pulled off not one, but two of the most improbable comebacks in NBA history—just days apart.

That’s what bar prep demands too.

You’re not expected to be perfect on Day One. You’re not expected to memorize every nuance overnight. What’s expected is that you show up, even when you’re trailing. That you keep moving forward, even when the scoreboard doesn’t look good. That you stay focused, keep learning, and trust your game plan.

This summer, there will be times when you feel like you're in those final 48 seconds—down by more than a few points, unsure if there’s enough time left to win.

But remember the Pacers. Remember that two out of the three wins in 20 years came from one team—just games apart.

They didn’t give up. Neither should you.

Bar prep isn’t about who’s ahead early. It’s about who finishes strong.