We should be talking about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s historic night. Milwaukee is the franchise of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Marques Johnson, Ray Allen and Michael Redd — Antetokounmpo has now scored more in a game than any of them.
Antetokounmpo scored a career-high and franchise-record 64 points as the Bucks got a measure of revenge on the Pacers for eliminating Milwaukee from the In-Season Tournament with a 140-126 win.
WHAT A NIGHT FOR GIANNIS.
— NBA (@NBA) December 14, 2023
64 PTS IS A NEW CAREER-HIGH AND FRANCHISE RECORD 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/Z7kO8tausf
However, all the talk is about what happened postgame.
Antetokounmpo understandably wanted the game ball from his historic night. However, a Pacers assistant coach had taken the game ball because their two-way rookie Oscar Tshiebwe had scored his first NBA point and those players traditionally get a game ball. After an animated discussion with the Pacers Tyrese Haliburton, Antetokounmpo raced back to the locker rooms after the ball.
Something is going down after the buzzer in Milwaukee pic.twitter.com/FMyIYrMbPA
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) December 14, 2023
Antetokounmpo and other Bucks players went to the Pacers’ hallway and some sort of confrontation occurred, according to Pacers coach Rick Carlise, who called the entire thing an “unfortunate situation.” Security staff kept the Bucks out of the Pacers locker room. Carlisle said that Pacers GM Chad Buchanan was elbowed in the ribs during the situation.
Antetokounmpo got a ball. A Bucks’ official had grabbed the game ball at the buzzer and gave it to him later, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and this video.
Video from Bucks telecast clearly shows Bucks security got the game ball and handed it to a team staffer.
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) December 14, 2023
National crisis over. pic.twitter.com/5i2vIKvUM3
At his postgame press conference, Antetokounmpo said he didn’t know whether the ball he got was the actual game ball or not but didn’t think it felt like the game ball. Carlisle said there were a couple of game balls and his team only took one.
It was a lot of drama for a night that will ultimately be remembered for Antetokounmpo dropping 64 on Indiana.
