FAYETTEVILLE — The legendary George “Iceman” Gervin had a thigh contusion and had to miss a few games early in the 1981-82 season for the San Antonio Spurs.
Enter Ron Brewer, whom the Spurs had traded for midway through the previous season.
With Gervin, a legendary scorer who averaged more than 30 points per game twice in his NBA career, sidelined, Brewer went off. The 6-4 guard from Fort Smith and the University of Arkansas scored 39, 40 and 44 points, ascending career highs, to help the Spurs beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers midway through a sizzling 9-1 start.