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Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t appear to take the series-ending loss to the Indiana Pacers well on Tuesday night after getting into multiple altercations after the final buzzer.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton hit the game-winning shot, crossing over Antetokounmpo and driving to the basket for a right-handed layup to take the 119-118 lead with 1.3 seconds left to play.
After the game, Antetokounmpo was paying his respects to several Pacers players, but things got weird when he and Indiana guard Benedict Mathurin embraced and appeared to have some words. However, Mathurin pushed Antetokounmpo away, and an altercation between both the Pacers and Bucks occurred on the court.
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Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) defends during game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)
Then, things got interesting when Antetokounmpo went face-to-face with Haliburton’s father, who was in the stands throughout the game. Again, it appeared they were just having a spirited conversation, but Antetokounmpo needed to be pulled away from Haliburton’s dad by a Bucks coach.
After the game, Antetokounmpo explained what happened with the altercation with Haliburton’s father, claiming he was waving a towel with his son’s face on it at him and cursing after the win.
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“One thing I’ll say is that I believe being humble in victory,” Antetokounmpo said in a three-minute response to a reporter’s question on the matter. “That’s the way I am. There’s probably a lot of people out there like, ‘No, when you win the game you gotta talk s—. It’s a green light for you to be disrespectful towards somebody else.’ I disagree. I’ve won a championship, they haven’t. That doesn’t say anything – I’m not trying to minimize their effort.
“Losing a game, emotions run high, having a fan – which, at the moment, I thought he was a fan, but then I realized it was Tyrese’s dad. I love Tyrese, I think he’s a great competitor. [He was] coming into the court and showing a towel with his son’s face [saying], ‘This is what we do, this is what we F’n do, this is what the F we do.’ I feel like that is very, very disrespectful.
“I’m happy that he’s happy for his son – that’s how you’re supposed to feel. But coming to me and disrespecting me and cursing at me I think is totally unacceptable. Totally unacceptable. I’m not the guy that points fingers, because in my neighborhood, snitches get stitches. So, I don’t want to say something for him to get fined or anything. But it’s not respectful. I talked with him at the end, and I think we’re in a good place.”
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) steals the ball from Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)
Antetokounmpo also mentioned his late father, Charles, who he said taught him humbleness.
“My dad used to come into the family room and was the most respectful person ever,” Antetokounmpo said. “When you come from nothing and work your whole life to sell stuff in the street and your whole life you’re scared of the police deporting you and sending you back to your country and you have to protect your kids, you create this mentality of being humble your whole life, to not disrespectful anybody, to not make the emotions high so somebody can snitch on you or say something bad about you.”
The younger Haliburton was asked about his father’s actions after the game as well, and he is on Antetokounmpo’s side of the argument.
“I don’t agree with what transpired there from him. I think basketball is basketball and let’s keep it on the court. I think he just got excited that his son made the game-winner, came onto the court. We had a conversation and I think he needs to just allow me to play basketball, stay over there. I’ll come to him to celebrate. I think it’s just the emotions of the game got excited there.”
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)
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Antetokounmpo did his best to keep the series alive on Tuesday night, tallying a triple-double with 30 points, 20 rebounds and 13 assists. However, he did have a chance to hit the game-winner himself in regulation, but couldn’t knock down the shot.
The Bucks were up with 40 seconds left in overtime, but Indiana came back to the point where Haliburton and Antetokounmpo went one-on-one for the game. Haliburton, who scored 26 points with five rebounds and nine assists, came out on top.
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