One of the most controversial moments of the season restart thus far involved league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, as the Milwaukee Bucks superstar was at the center of what was deemed as a potentially hostile act during his team's matchup against the Boston Celtics on Friday.
Things got a bit feisty in the close encounter between these two top Eastern Conference sides, and at one point late in the game, the referees decided to review a play involving Giannis Antetokounmpo and Celtics big man Daniel Theis. Below is the transcript of the game official's explanation pertaining to the incident:
NBA referee James Capers addresses the controversial 'hostile act' call involving Giannis Antetokounmpo late in Celtics-Bucks game: pic.twitter.com/qZrNcybbnu
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) August 1, 2020
Antetokounmpo was playing with five fouls when he ran into Theis during a defensive play, and on the onset, it did appear that he hit the C's center on the stomach with his elbow. The referees reviewed the play, and in the end, decided that Giannis did not commit a foul, thereby allowing him to play out the remainder of the game. This proved to be a pivotal moment in the contest, with an Antetokounmpo-led Bucks side able to hold off the Celtics to come away with a 119-112 victory.
Giannis getting a superstar's benefit of the doubt 🤔 pic.twitter.com/TNu5CnK6Tm
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) August 1, 2020
Giannis finished with a game-high 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting, along with 15 rebounds, seven assists, a steal, a block, and one 3-pointer. Clearly, the hiatus did little to mess up the MVP form of the All-Star forward.
The Bucks are off on Saturday but will be back in action on Sunday as they face off against a red-hot James Harden and the Houston Rockets.
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