but were quickly swept out of the playoffs by the Knicks, largely because Johnson was sidelined during the playoff series with an injury. After fading to third place in the Eastern Division in 1969–70, Johnson played a key role in Baltimore’s unexpected run to the Finals the following season by averaging 13 points and 10.4 rebounds per playoff game. First, the Bullets beat the Philadelphia 76ers in a grueling seven game semifinals series, then they upset the top-seeded and defending champion New York Knicks four games to three in the Eastern Conference Finals, and advanced to the NBA Finals. But injuries had decimated the team, and the Bullets were swept in four straight by the Milwaukee Bucks, led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Robertson, and Bobby Dandridge. Injuries kept Johnson on the bench for most of 1971–72, limiting him to 39 games and 6 points per game. That season would be his last with the team. The next season, the Bullets traded for Elvin Hayes and drafted Kevin Porter, making Johnson expendable. In nine seasons with Baltimore, he averaged 17.5 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 35.2 minutes in 560 games. Phoenix Suns (1972) Johnson was traded to the Phoenix Suns on April 12, 1972, completing a transaction from two days prior when the Bullets acquired a second-round pick (25th overall) in the 1972 NBA draft and selected Tom Patterson. Johnson played 21 games before being waived on December 1. He averaged 7.8 points and 6.5 rebounds in 19.9 minutes under head coaches Butch van Breda Kolff (fired after seven games) and Jerry Colangelo, Johnson's former Baltimore teammate. Indiana Pacers (1972–1973) The Indiana Pacers, then of the American Basketball Association (ABA), picked up Johnson after he was recruited to the Pacers by his former Baltimore Coach, Hall of Fame inductee Slick Leonard. He played his first game with the Pacers on December 16, 1972, and became a steadying veteran influence on the young team, which went on to win the 1973 ABA championship. "It doesn't hurt to have some veterans around, and Gus was great for team chemistry," Leonard said of adding Johnson to the Pacers. Playing in 50 games with the Pacers, and reunited with his former Coach Slick Leonard, Johnson averaged 6.0 points and 4.9 rebounds, playing alongside 22 year-old future Hall of Famer George McGinnis, Hall of Famer Mel Daniels, Hall of Famer Roger Brown, Freddie Lewis, Donnie Freeman,