The Indiana Pacers sealed their spot in the next round of the playoffs by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 120-98 at home in Game 6 on Thursday. They’ll now await the winner between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers.
However, the game ended sourly due to an incident involving Bucks guard Patrick Beverley. With just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Beverley threw the ball at some fans sitting courtside, hitting one of them in the head. He then asked for the ball back and threw it back with even more force towards the fans. Beverley didn’t face any immediate consequences during the game, but the NBA is likely to review the incident and hand out punishment, considering their strict stance on player-fan altercations since the “Malice at the Palace” incident in 2004.
altercation between pat bev and pacers fans behind the bench pic.twitter.com/dfQpqSBv33
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 3, 2024
Beverley’s performance on the court wasn’t remarkable either. He scored six points, made five assists, and grabbed two rebounds, but struggled with his shooting, making only three of his eleven attempts. In contrast, he had a strong showing in Game 5 with 13 points, 12 assists, and two steals.
The series between the Pacers and the Bucks had its moments of tension, including Bucks’ Bobby Portis getting ejected from Game 4 after a scuffle with Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard.
