INDIANAPOLIS — Two Pacers fans have filed a lawsuit against Milwaukee Bucks guard Patrick Beverley following a heated playoff matchup last year.
The lawsuit stems from an incident that occurred during Game 6 of the 2024 NBA Eastern Conference First Round on May 2, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Watch previous coverage: Beverley throws ball at Pacers fans; asks reporter to leave postgame interview:
The Pacers won the game 120-98, knocking the Bucks out of the playoffs. However, what should have been a celebration for Pacers fans turned into a troubling situation for Jessica Simmons and Katie Lanciotti.
The lawsuit claims that while sitting on the bench, Beverley threw a basketball into the stands, hitting Lanciotti in the head hard enough to break her necklace. This caused her immediate pain. Moments later, after another fan tossed the ball back to him, Beverley threw it again—this time hitting Simmons in the chest and face, causing her pain as well.
The lawsuit, filed in Marion County, accuses Beverley of battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Additionally, Simmons and Lanciotti allege invasion of privacy by false light and defamation based on comments allegedly made by Beverley on his podcast, “The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone.”
They say that Beverley suggested that the fans had said hurtful things that provoked him. His comments allegedly spread rumors that damaged the women’s reputations among friends and family.
The lawsuit also highlights the role of Bucks assistant coach Josh Oppenheimer, who allegedly engaged in provocative banter with Pacer fans during the game, further escalating tensions in the stands. While Simmons and Lanciotti reportedly did not respond to Oppenheimer's taunts, they were escorted out of the arena, an action that left them feeling embarrassed and unjustly targeted.
The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for the injuries Simmons and Lanciotti endured, listing damages that include physical pain, emotional distress, humiliation, medical expenses, and lost work hours.
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