Owning a school or franchise single-game scoring record is a pretty big deal. Not as big a deal as being a career scoring leader or league MVP or some other accomplishment that takes more than one game to achieve, but still a significant achievement. 

Here's a quick list of the players who have held the Pacers' single-game scoring record. Naturally several of them set the mark in the first season. It's somewhat surprising that the current record - held by George McGinnis - has stood since 1972. But then 58 points isn't an easy barrier to clear. 

The Pacers are one of eight NBA teams to have never had a player score 60 or more points. Wilt Chamberlain, of course, holds the all-time NBA record with 100. That historic feat is credited to the Golden State Warriors because Chamberlain was playing for the Philadelphia Warriors on March 2, 1962. The franchise moved to San Francisco after that season.   

1. (Oct. 14, 1967) Roger Brown, 24 vs. Kentucky

Someone was going to have to be the Pacers’ all-time single-game scoring leader after the franchise’s inaugural game. It turned out to be Brown, who led their victory over the Colonels.

Brown, described in The Indianapolis Star as “the man of many moves” hit 9-of-19 field goal attempts and 6-of-9 foul shots and added eight rebounds and four assists. (None of the Pacers hit a three-pointer in the game while the Colonels hit seven.)

“Honestly, it wasn’t quite as tough as I thought it’d be,” he said afterward.

It was a momentous evening for Brown, who had been banned from playing in the NCAA and NBA after his freshman year of college at Dayton because of his loose association with fixers as a high school player in Brooklyn. He had only accepted small favors without knowing of the man’s seedy nature and later won a lawsuit against the NBA for his banishment. This game was the official start of a new life.

“I’m sure glad someone thought of this league,” he said. “The guys who never had a chance with the NBA have the chance here.”

2. (Oct. 22, 1967) Freddie Lewis, 27 vs. Dallas

Brown’s record lasted four games until Lewis surpassed it in a 20-point road victory over the Chapparals. The Pacers were 5-0 at the time. This professional basketball thing sure seemed like a breeze for a while.

Lewis hit 10-of-19 shots. Brown also surpassed his previous record with 26, one short of Lewis. Attendance for the game was conveniently listed as 2,000 – no doubt made up and exaggerated.

3. (Oct. 27, 1967) Freddie Lewis, 28 vs. Oakland

Lewis outdid himself by a point when the Pacers played the not-so-mighty Oaks on consecutive nights later that month. They lost the first game but won the rematch, played before 1,082 fans in San Jose, by 14 points.

Lewis hit 11-of-19 shots. Details are scarce as neither Indianapolis newspaper sent a reporter on the west coast trip.

4. (Nov. 6, 1967) Freddie Lewis, 33 vs. Kentucky

Lewis became the first Pacer to surpass 30 points in a 10-point road victory at Kentucky. This one improved the Pacers’ record against the rival Colonels to 3-0 and their overall record to 8-2.

Lewis also was credited with a strong defensive effort on Kentucky guard Darel Carrier, who scored just six of his 20 points in the second half when Lewis switched off to him.

5. (Dec. 7, 1967) Freddie Lewis, 41 vs. Denver

Lewis broke through the 40-point barrier in a homecourt victory over the Rockets, hitting 13-of-21 field goal attempts and 15-of-17 free throws. He also had a team-high 12 rebounds and played all 48 minutes without committing a turnover.

The Pacers were playing for the third consecutive night, all home games. Lewis, who had played poorly the previous evening in a victory over Kentucky, bounced back despite a recent ankle sprain.

“Tonight, I felt relaxed, and I wasn’t tired at all,” he said.

“In warmup I finally discovered what I had been doing wrong on my jump shot. I was shooting it too flat. So, I began to get my hand under the ball and give it more arch.”

6. (Dec. 19, 1967) Freddie Lewis, 43 vs. Oakland

Lewis set another record in a one-point loss in Oakland before all of 986 people in the Richmond Auditorium. He hit 18-of-34 shots and grabbed nine rebounds, scoring 15 points in both the first and fourth quarters.

If you’re surprised Lewis set so many of the first season scoring standards, you shouldn’t be. He was the Pacers’ leading scorer that season with an average of 20.8 points. Brown was second at 19.6. Those two finished the season nearly equal in made field goals and made three-pointers but Lewis got to the foul line more often than Brown and had a better percentage when he got there to outscore Brown by 75 points on free throws.

Lewis matched his record the following season against Dallas.

7. (March 11, 1969) Roger Brown, 46 vs. New York

Brown raised the bar the following season in a road victory at New York, stretching the winning streak to seven games. He always liked playing in the New York area – this game was conducted on Long Island - because he had grown up in Brooklyn and usually had family and friends at the game.

They might have skipped this one, however. Frigid Long Island Arena was described by Dick Denny in The Indianapolis News as “the most desolute, discouraging spot a pro team in any sport has to play in today.”  Attendance was listed at 517, so Brown’s sterling effort amounted to a private showing.

“… it’s so darned cold I didn’t even want to call timeout because I didn’t want to cool off the players,” Pacers coach Bobby Leonard said. “I think I called only one timeout.”

Brown hit 15-of-29 field goal attempts and 16-of-19 free throws while grabbing eight rebounds and passing out six assists. He had scored 38, 24, 32, 34, 41 and 32 points in the previous six games and would score 45 two weeks later.

“Roger has to be all-pro forward,” Leonard said. “He’s just burning everybody. He’s not quite as strong physically, but he plays almost like Elgin Baylor. He has the same kind of moves, a lot of hanging stuff in the air.”

Brown wasn’t as impressed, at least on this day.

“I thought I was terrible, and I thought the team played badly,” he said. “It was just too cold for basketball.”

8. (March 18, 1969) Mel Daniels, 56 vs. New York

Brown’s record lasted just a week as Mel Daniels shattered it in a home game against the same lowly Nets team that Brown had dominated. The Monday night game drew 4,796 fans to the Fairgrounds Coliseum and ran the win streak to 10.

Daniels’ total was one short of the ABA record at the time, held by Connie Hawkins.

For more on Daniels' record-setting effort, click here:

9. (Nov. 28, 1972) George McGinnis, 58 vs. Dallas

McGinnis set the record that has yet to be surpassed in an overtime victory at Dallas. Playing all 53 minutes, he hit 22-of-35 field goal attempts and 14-of-21 foul shots, grabbed 16 rebounds and picked off eight steals.

He had just two of his points in overtime, but that was enough to surpass Daniels’ mark.

McGinnis cost himself even greater glory with his mediocre free throw shooting. He had missed nine of them when he scored 53 points as Mr. Basketball for the Indiana All-Star team when it defeated Kentucky in Louisville in 1969. He missed seven in this game, so he could have had at least a couple of 60-point games if not for that glitch.

Reggie Miller set the Pacers’ NBA single-game scoring record of 57 points in a victory at Charlotte on Nov. 28, 1992 –30 years to the day. But McGinnis’ record still stands.

For more on all the Pacers who scored 50 or more points in an ABA or NBA game, click here:

Tagged with: Freddie Lewis, George McGinnis, Mel Daniels, Roger Brown