Incensed Giannis Sparks Postgame Spat That Injures Assistant Coach
A dispute over which team got to take home the game ball after the Milwaukee Bucks’ win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night led to a nasty spat, with cameras capturing an incensed Giannis Antetokounmpo being held back as he sprinted toward the Pacers’ locker room demanding the ball. Antetokounmpo’s reaction, which unverified leaked audio revealed involved choice words between both sides, led to a physical altercation. Rick Carlisle, the Pacers’ coach, said one of his assistants was elbowed and may have a bruised rib. Carlisle added that the Pacers players didn’t grab the game ball to spite Antetokounmpo, who scored a franchise-record 64 points, but did so to give it to their rookie Oscar Tshiebwe, who’d just scored his first NBA points. Antetokounmpo ended up with the game ball in the end but still appeared peeved in his postgame press conference as he told reporters he’s not sure the ball given to him was used in the game. “It doesn’t feel like the game ball to me,” he said. “It feels like a brand-new ball. I can tell.”
Giannis tried to go into the Pacers locker room after they took the game ball from his 64 piece pic.twitter.com/Z9LnPQihzJ
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) December 14, 2023
