NBA

Pacers won't punish Tinsley for gunfire drama

'I made a stupid mistake, again,' PG says after third night club incident

Darron Cummings / AP

The Indiana Pacers will not punish guard Jamaal Tinsley for his involvement in a shooting in front of a downtown hotel.

“I don’t know that I have to reiterate it to the team, but it’s an opportunity in the community to get the message out that you’ve got to be careful where you go and who you associate with, that firing guns and trying to kill people is not the way to go,” he said.

Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning said he doesn’t carry much money or wear much jewelry, and he’s careful about his activities.

“Guys have got to make better decisions about where ... they go and use better judgment,” Mourning said Sunday after hearing of the shooting. “If we go out and flaunt and expose our luxuries, there are some jealous people out there who want it.

“I’m not saying you’ve got to hide it, but don’t be flamboyant. Don’t walk into a club with a crowd of people wearing a $250,000 chain around your neck or pull out a wad of hundreds for everybody to see.”

Tinsley apologized to his family, teammates and fans.

If attendance is any indication, fans could be showing they are tired of a troubled team, one that missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 1997. As of Sunday, the Pacers were averaging just 12,517 fans for home games in the 18,345-seat Conseco Fieldhouse, 28th out of 30 teams.

Police arrested one person in Tinsley’s group for an outstanding warrant in Georgia for dealing a controlled substance.

Team equipment manager Joey Qatato was struck in both elbows as he sat with Tinsley in the Rolls Royce, which was struck by several bullets, as was the Charger. The 48-year-old Qatato was taken to Methodist Hospital, where he was treated and released.

“I’m very disappointed that it happened, with me,” Tinsley said. “It was supposed to be fun. That’s all I wanted to do is have fun.”

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