Billy Knight dunks in a game against the Washington Bullets during the 1981-82 campaign.
The Indiana Pacers have had plenty of impressive individual scoring performances during their franchise history. Two players dominate their franchise history scoring leaderboard. Let’s highlight their top five all-time single-season points-per-game leaders.
1. George McGinnis, 1974-75, 29.8 Points Per Game
McGinnis had two different stints with the franchise, one in the ABA and one in the NBA. In his final season with the team in the ABA, he led the league by averaging 29.8 points per game. Helping his cause was that he attempted 24.5 shots per game. He also averaged 14.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.6 steals on his way to being named league MVP.
2. Billy Knight, 1975-76, 28.1 Points Per Game
Like McGinnis, Knight played for the franchise in both the ABA and the NBA. He made his first All-Star team during the 1975-76 season and finished with averages of 28.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Despite this being just his second season in the league, all three averages would end up being the highest marks of his career. His scoring average of 28.1 points per game ranked second in the ABA behind Julius Erving (29.3).
3. George McGinnis, 1972-73, 27.6 Points Per Game
McGinnis came in third for Rookie of the Year voting in 1971-72, averaging 16.9 points over 30 minutes per game. He saw his playing time increase to 41 minutes per game the following season, which helped him average 27.6 points per game. That was the second-highest mark in the ABA behind Julius Erving (31.9). The 1972-73 season also marked the first time that McGinnis was named an All-Star. In addition to his scoring prowess, McGinnis averaged 12.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
4. Billy Knight, 1976-77, 26.6 Points Per Game
The 1976-77 season was Knight’s first in the NBA. He was busy, averaging 40 minutes across 78 games. He also made his second of three straight All-Star teams. With him shooting 49.3% from the field and attempting 21.6 shots per game, Knight averaged 26.6 points. That ranked second in the league behind Pete Maravich (31.1). Knight played a total of 585 regular season games with the Indiana franchise, averaging 18.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists along the way.
5. George McGinnis, 1973-74, 25.9 Points Per Game
McGinnis played a lot in the 1973-74 season, logging 41 minutes per game. However, he shot 46.8% from the field, down from 49.5% the season prior. Still, his attempting 21.1 shots per game helped him average 25.9 points. That was the second-highest mark in the ABA behind Julius Erving (27.4). McGinnis left the franchise after the 1974-75 season. After stints with both the 76ers and Nuggets, McGinnis was dealt back to the Pacers during the 1979-80 season and eventually finished his career with the franchise. Over 487 regular season games with Indiana, he averaged 19.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals.
