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Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo set a franchise record with his 64-point outburst against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, but things got spicy afterward.
After the game, the Bucks star wanted the game ball as a memento of the occasion, only to find out the Pacers may have had already taken it.
Giannis and multiple other Bucks players charged into the Pacers tunnel where a fracas took place, according to Pacers coach Rick Carlisle:
“There was a misunderstanding about the game ball. It was Oscar Tshiebwe's first official NBA point, so we always get the game ball. We were not thinking about Giannis' franchise record. So, we get the ball and a couple minutes later, several of their players ended up in our hallway and there was a big…fracas, or melee or whatever. I don't think any punches were landed, but my General Manager [Chad Buchanan] got elbowed in the ribs by one of their players. He certainly has a bruised rib and, who knows if it's anything more than that.”
But later, Carlisle said the Pacers found out they didn't actually have the game ball anyway. They took the reserve ball and a security guard had the real game ball, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton isn't buying Giannis' story that he charged the tunnel for the game ball:
Haliburton and Giannis had a heated conversation after the Bucks star emerged from the Pacers' tunnel after looking for the game ball:
Giannis and Haliburton had heated exchange following Bucks-Pacers 😳
It involved Pacers taking game ball away after Giannis' 64-point game pic.twitter.com/zsSGraLQVi
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 14, 2023
Whether Giannis has the actual game ball or the backup ball, this matchup between the Pacers and Bucks will be talked about for quite some time.
