IMPD looks into ball thrown at Pacers fans during Game 6 vs. Bucks
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis police detectives are reviewing footage of Bucks guard Patrick Beverly on Thursday throwing a basketball at fans in the waning moments of the NBA Game 6 playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Milwaukee’s 120-98 Game 6 loss at Indiana that knocked the Bucks out of the playoffs in the first round. The Pacers at 9 p.m. Wednesday at Madison Square Garden will go against the New York Knicks for Game 2 of the second round.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department shared a statement with News 8 on Wednesday evening.
“IMPD is aware of an incident that occurred on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse involving an NBA player and citizen. At the time of the incident, officers completed an initial case report. The report has been forwarded to IMPD detectives, who are currently investigating this situation and take all accusations seriously. Detectives are working with Gainbridge Fieldhouse to review video footage and plan to speak with the parties involved.
“Detectives will present the case to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office at the conclusion of the investigation.”
IMPD Officer William Young, a department spokesperson
This is breaking news. Below is previous coverage on May 3, 2024, from The Associated Press.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Beverley indicated a video showing him throwing a ball at a spectator on Thursday was misleading but later added that “I have to be better.”
Cameras showed Beverley sitting on the bench and tossing a ball into the stands and hitting a fan with about 2 ½ minutes left in Milwaukee’s 120-98 Game 6 loss at Indiana that knocked the Bucks out of the playoffs. After a different fan threw the ball back to Beverley, who was holding his arm out for it, the Bucks guard fired it back at that spectator.
Beverley declined to answer a question about it while speaking to reporters after the game. But he replied to an X post that showed the video by saying, “Not Fair at all. Exchanged between a fan and our ball club all night. We warned and asked for help all night. Not fair.”
Six hours later, Beverley issued another X post saying, “But I have to be better. And I will.”
Also during his postgame media session, Beverley wouldn’t allow a particular journalist to ask a question after discovering that she didn’t subscribe to his podcast. He told her to get her microphone out of his face and then eventually asked her to leave the interview circle.
The journalist was identified on social media as ESPN producer Malinda Adams. She tweeted Friday that Beverley called her and apologized.
“I appreciate it and accept it,” she said in her tweet. “The Bucks also reached out to apologize.”
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Friday he had spoken to Beverley.
“That’s not the Milwaukee way or the Bucks way,” Rivers said. “We’re better than that. Pat feels awful about that. He also understands emotionally — this is an emotional game and things happen — unfortunately, you’re judged immediately and he let the emotions get the better of him.”
Rivers said Beverley called Adams on his own without being told to do so by the Bucks.
“I had not seen that interview,” Rivers said. “I just heard that that happened. So we talked about that and then the ball-throwing incident. And he made the comment to me about what was being said back his way and I just said, ‘I get it, but we’re coaches and athletes, we’re the entertainers or whatever we are. Sometimes they can be in the wrong, but you just can’t do those certain things.’ And he knows that as well.”