Apparently, Giannis Antetokounmpo can’t dribble a game out correctly. At least in the eyes of Sacramento.
Antetokounmpo returned to the Bucks’ lineup and was his dominant self scoring 46 with 12 rebounds, but as he tried to dribble out the win with :15 seconds left, he bumped into the Kings’ Trey Lyles and suddenly it was on, with Brook Lopez jumping in to defend his guy.
Brook Lopez and Trey Lyles both got ejected after wild scuffle 😳 pic.twitter.com/OmzV0BwtfK
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 14, 2023
Brooks and Lyles were given technicals and ejected. The league will follow with fines in the coming day or two.
What was this all about? The Kings took exception to what they saw as Antetokounmpo not just quietly dribbling the game out and instead cutting in front of Lyles. To a man, his Kings teammates had Lyles’ back, starting with coach Mike Brown.
“I don’t know what happened, but we ain’t taking s*** from nobody,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “Trust me on that. And they’re all going to have each other’s backs in there.”
Trey Lyles in the locker room. pic.twitter.com/m4k0cuXfHM
— Jason Anderson (@JandersonSacBee) March 14, 2023
Lopez said he would always jump in to defend a teammate.
Brook Lopez to Sideline Sources on Trey Lyles:
— Mark Haynes (@markhaynesnba) March 14, 2023
“I thought what that guy did to Giannis was cheap. He didn't need to do any of that stuff. He stepped up to Giannis a little bit as he walked off and I didn't like that. I had my guy’s back like I would have any of my teammates.”
The scuffle overshadowed a quality win that, combined with the Celtics’ inexplicable loss to the Rockets, has the Bucks back up 2.5 games in the East (and three over the Nuggets for the best record in the league).
As for the Kings, they hung with a contender. Domantas Sabonis had a triple-double — 23 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists (his 10th triple-double of the season) — going against Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Lopez.