Boy, was this a bad week to be out of the office. Not only are the Pacers playing every other night, there have been A LOT of extracurricular activities. After losing to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday a "big fracas, melee, whatever" (in Carlisle's words) erupted over who got the official game ball. That generated plenty of Pacers content on the Twittersphere and possibly led the team to fill its empty roster spot with a martial artist.

But before we get into all that tawdry hullabaloo, the biggest news was the passing of Indiana basketball legend George McGinnis.

RIP Big Mac

How do you sum up McGinnis? As the heading suggests, it's hard not to start with his size. At 6'8, 235 he had a god given blend of bulk and natural athleticism that would have made him an All-Star in any era but which was especially rare in the 70s. I stumbled upon John Laskowski's Tales from the Hoosier Locker Room and some of the physical descriptions of Big George are absolute gold:

"His hands were as big as doormats and as soft as pillows"
"The man is big enough to go bear hunting with a buggy whip"
"He looks like an unemployed blacksmith"

His legendary career started in high school at Washington, which he led to a 31–0 record and a state championship in 1969. He also set an Indiana state tournament scoring record with 148 points in his final four games. At the annual Indiana-Kentucky All-Star games, he dropped 53 points against our southern neighbors.

He went on to play for IU where he became the first sophomore (freshmen didn't play in those days) to lead the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding. He was inducted into the IU Hall of Fame earlier this year for his achievements in Bloomington.

As a pro he wasted no time putting together a Hall of Fame resume, which as you can see from his Wikipedia sidebar above is extensive.

McGinnis was an immediate force in the ABA, helping the Pacers win titles in his first two seasons with the franchise. He was named the ABA Playoffs MVP in 1973, averaging about 24 points and 12 rebounds in the playoffs en route to one of those titles. In 1974–75, arguably his best season, McGinnis scored a career-high 29.8 points per game and won the ABA MVP award.

"In the 1975 ABA Playoffs, he nearly averaged a triple-double (32.3 points, 15.9 rebounds, and 8.2 assists in 18 games), but the Pacers fell short of the title, losing to Kentucky in the ABA Finals. However, in these playoffs, McGinnis established multiple statistical feats.

  • Recorded the first 50+ point triple-double in NBA/ABA Playoff history with 51 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists — a feat matched only by Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
  • Became the first player in NBA/ABA history to record 200+ points, 100+ rebounds, and 50+ assists in a single playoff series, which he accomplished twice, in back-to-back series. Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks is the only other player to replicate this.
  • Became the first player in NBA/ABA history to lead the playoffs in total points (581), total rebounds (286), and total assists (148) — a feat matched only by Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets."

I reached out to someone who knew him personally and the response was, "Better person than basketball player. The nicest." Considering how good he was on the court, that's quite the complement.

Rest in peace, George, you will be missed.

Ballgate

I'm not sure where to even start with this nonsense about the game ball. According to Carlisle the Pacers took *a* ball after the game to give to Oscar Tshiebwe in honor of scoring his first NBA points. Giannis Antetokoumpo was upset because he had just set a few scoring records and wanted the ball for himself.

Whether the Pacers took the actual ball that was used in the game or an alternate is still up for debate. Feel free to examine the footage like it's the Zapruder film.

Nevertheless, possession of the ball seem secondary to the fact that it led to a donnybrook in the tunnels.

According to Carlisle it was mostly a big nothing – as NBA fights tend to be – but General Manager Chad Buchanan might be popping Tylenol for the next few days.

A couple minutes later, several of their players ended up in our hallway. There was a big fracas, melee, whatever. I don’t think any punches were landed, but my general manager got elbowed in the ribs by one of their players. He certainly has a bruised rib and who knows if it’s anything more than that. Unfortunate situation.

According to Gilbert Arenas' podcast, a former Arizona Wildcat (I'm going out on a limb and saying it was Mathurin and not McConnell) "put his hands on" a Bucks coach, while a Pacers coach pinned a Bucks player to a wall. Any guesses on the coach? My money is on Jim Boylan.

All in all, there's not much to take away from the uproar other than the next few meetings with the Bucks will be must see TV.

Welcome James Johnson

The Pacers have had an open roster spot since waiving Daniel Theis. As of today, they officially signed James Johnson and that spot is now filled.

Johnson was a locker room leader for the Pacers last year and his voice will be an important anchor for a team dealing with an entirely new level of expectations (and scrutiny) after they put the league on notice with their IST run.

It doesn't hurt that he's a black belt and MMA fighter either – especially if they are going to keep meeting other teams in the tunnels after games.

Odds and Ends

Who is in the mood for more Tyrese (and Indy) propaganda?

The Wizards

Oh yeah, this is a game thread. Almost forgot with all the other stuff going on.

My prediction? Points. Expect them to come easy and often. I'm talking All-Star Game level defense. Maybe worse. The only team keeping the Pacers from being the worst defense in the league is their opponent tonight.

Washington doesn't do very much well – other than run. Which means they'll be more than happy to play our fast paced, all gas no breaks style. Expect every possession to feel like transition regardless if the ball comes out of the net or not.

At the end of the day, the Pacers should have a sufficient advantage in firepower and skill with the ball to win this track meet.

Injuries

Andrew Nembhard and Jalen Smith are still out. However, James Johnson will be available. According to Carlisle, he's in great shape.

How to Watch

Tipoff is at 7:00 PM ET.

TV: Bally Sports Indiana, NBA League Pass

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

See ya in the comments!

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