Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a Milwaukee Bucks franchise-record 64 points in a 140-126 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a Milwaukee Bucks franchise-record 64 points in a 140-126 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, though that was hardly the center of attention inside Fiserv Forum once the final buzzer sounded.
The two-time NBA MVP engaged in an animated back-and-forth with Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton and other members of the Pacers organization in a dispute over which team would keep the game ball. Things escalated from there. Antetokounmpo raced toward the visitor’s locker room in an effort to get the ball back. A scuffle ensued between the teams in one of the arena’s hallways.
By the time the kerfuffle ended, it was unclear who even ended up with the ball in question.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said postgame that the team wanted the ball to commemorate Oscar Tshiebwe’s first NBA point. The „Greek Freak“ also clearly desired it, though he said his intention was to gift it to teammate Damian Lillard, who hit his 2,451st career 3-pointer on Wednesday, passing Kyle Korver for fifth-most in NBA history.
„I understand. When you score your first point in the NBA, you want to have the ball or whatever the case may be,“ Antetokounmpo said. „But at the end of the day, you’re talking about the guy that just skipped Kyle Korver in the all-time list. In my opinion, we should all stop what we’re doing and appreciate greatness.“
One video appeared to show the actual game ball being collected by a member of the Bucks organization as the game ended.
