The 1981-82 Indiana Pacers faced a challenging NBA season, finishing with a 35-47 record. Despite the struggles, this season marked a slight improvement over their previous campaign. The team was led by George McGinnis, who returned to Indiana after a stint in the NBA, and Johnny Davis, who contributed significantly on offense.
Under head coach Jack McKinney, the Pacers showed occasional flashes of competitiveness, but consistency remained elusive. The team ranked towards the bottom in the Central Division, reflecting ongoing struggles against more dominant opponents. Despite individual performances, the Pacers failed to secure a playoff spot, marking another year of rebuilding efforts.
Off the court, the Pacers continued to solidify their presence in Indiana, cultivating a loyal fan base despite on-court challenges. The 1981-82 season served as a stepping stone, setting the stage for future development and the eventual quest for postseason success.
- Regular Season Record: 35-47
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Indiana Pacers Roster and Stats for 1981-82 Season
POINTS
Johnny Davis
17.0
REBOUNDS
Herb Williams
7.3
ASSISTS
Don Buse
5.0
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Johnny Davis | 82 | 17.0 | 2.2 | 4.2 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 21.7 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Billy Knight | 81 | 12.3 | 3.2 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 32.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Mike Bantom | 39 | 11.7 | 5.5 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 25.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Herb Williams | 82 | 11.5 | 7.3 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 50.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Louis Orr | 80 | 11.5 | 4.1 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 16.7 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tom Owens | 74 | 10.5 | 5.0 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 50.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Don Buse | 82 | 9.7 | 2.7 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 39.5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Clemon Johnson | 79 | 9.5 | 7.2 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Butch Carter | 75 | 5.9 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 42.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| George Johnson | 59 | 5.1 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| George McGinnis | 76 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jerry Sichting | 51 | 4.2 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 12.5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Raymond Townsend | 14 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 25.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Indiana Pacers 1981-82 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1981-82 season for the Indiana Pacers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 30, 1981 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 96-94 | |
| Oct 31, 1981 | @ New York Knicks | W 106-99 | |
| Nov 04, 1981 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 107-99 | |
| Nov 06, 1981 | @ Boston Celtics | L 111-94 | |
| Nov 08, 1981 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 89-86 | |
| Nov 10, 1981 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 109-102 | |
| Nov 12, 1981 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 95-93 | |
| Nov 14, 1981 | @ San Diego Clippers | W 123-114 | |
| Nov 15, 1981 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 124-123 | |
| Nov 17, 1981 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 102-82 | |
| Nov 19, 1981 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 102-99 | |
| Nov 21, 1981 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 107-100 | |
| Nov 24, 1981 | vs. New York Knicks | W 127-112 | |
| Nov 25, 1981 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 108-102 | |
| Nov 27, 1981 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 124-112 | |
| Nov 28, 1981 | @ Washington Bullets | W 92-90 | |
| Dec 01, 1981 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 90-87 | |
| Dec 04, 1981 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 105-95 | |
| Dec 08, 1981 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 118-116 | |
| Dec 09, 1981 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 113-77 | |
| Dec 11, 1981 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 103-100 | |
| Dec 12, 1981 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 101-88 | |
| Dec 15, 1981 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 104-96 | |
| Dec 17, 1981 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 100-96 | |
| Dec 18, 1981 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 109-73 | |
| Dec 22, 1981 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 92-88 | |
| Dec 25, 1981 | @ Washington Bullets | L 115-98 | |
| Dec 26, 1981 | vs. New York Knicks | L 112-106 | |
| Dec 28, 1981 | @ New Jersey Nets | W 103-95 | |
| Dec 29, 1981 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 107-96 | |
| Jan 02, 1982 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 107-103 | |
| Jan 05, 1982 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 87-82 | |
| Jan 08, 1982 | @ Utah Jazz | L 108-102 | |
| Jan 09, 1982 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 115-106 | |
| Jan 12, 1982 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 105-93 | |
| Jan 13, 1982 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 106-86 | |
| Jan 15, 1982 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 97-92 | |
| Jan 17, 1982 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 116-103 | |
| Jan 19, 1982 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 110-100 | |
| Jan 20, 1982 | @ Boston Celtics | L 112-103 | |
| Jan 22, 1982 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 112-105 | |
| Jan 23, 1982 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 107-98 | |
| Jan 26, 1982 | @ Houston Rockets | L 104-94 | |
| Feb 02, 1982 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 109-105 | |
| Feb 03, 1982 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 108-104 | |
| Feb 04, 1982 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 131-114 | |
| Feb 06, 1982 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | L 95-89 | |
| Feb 09, 1982 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 108-101 | |
| Feb 10, 1982 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 102-96 | |
| Feb 13, 1982 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 110-109 | |
| Feb 14, 1982 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 107-91 | |
| Feb 17, 1982 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 104-93 | |
| Feb 18, 1982 | vs. San Diego Clippers | W 119-114 | |
| Feb 20, 1982 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 115-100 | |
| Feb 21, 1982 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 118-107 | |
| Feb 24, 1982 | vs. New York Knicks | W 118-87 | |
| Feb 26, 1982 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 108-100 | |
| Feb 28, 1982 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 112-101 | |
| Mar 02, 1982 | @ Denver Nuggets | W 132-124 | |
| Mar 03, 1982 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 120-82 | |
| Mar 07, 1982 | @ Dallas Mavericks | W 108-106 | |
| Mar 09, 1982 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 92-85 | |
| Mar 10, 1982 | @ Boston Celtics | L 121-100 | |
| Mar 12, 1982 | @ Washington Bullets | L 110-105 | |
| Mar 13, 1982 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 110-90 | |
| Mar 16, 1982 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 109-96 | |
| Mar 19, 1982 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 112-95 | |
| Mar 20, 1982 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 104-101 | |
| Mar 24, 1982 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 114-106 | |
| Mar 26, 1982 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 100-87 | |
| Mar 28, 1982 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 102-101 | |
| Mar 30, 1982 | @ New York Knicks | L 108-104 | |
| Mar 31, 1982 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 108-106 | |
| Apr 03, 1982 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 105-102 | |
| Apr 04, 1982 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 129-115 | |
| Apr 07, 1982 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 97-85 | |
| Apr 09, 1982 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 100-97 | |
| Apr 10, 1982 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 115-86 | |
| Apr 13, 1982 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 93-89 | |
| Apr 15, 1982 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 108-102 | |
| Apr 16, 1982 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 109-91 | |
| Apr 18, 1982 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 112-104 |