Security intervene as record breaker Giannis angrily demands game ball from Pacers – but he’s still not happy when he gets it
The Milwaukee Bucks vs Indiana Pacers game descended into a absolute bedlam on Wednesday.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had a career-night in the 140-126 win, dropping a ridiculous 64 points - the most points he's ever scored.
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However, the game was marred by an altercation after the final buzzer when the Pacers controversially confiscated the game ball.
It's customary for a player to keep the game ball after such an historic night, but the Pacers had reportedly taken the game ball so they could give it to rookie Oscar Tshiebwe who scored his very first NBA points.
After realising what had happened, an incensed Giannis stormed over towards the Pacers , and got in a heated exchange with Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton as he demanded the momento.
"That's my ball," the two-time MVP could be heard shouting.
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'The Greek Freak' was then seen hurtling towards Indy's locker and coming out of the tunnel of the Fiserv Forum in search of the ball. Apparently, Pacers GM Chad Buchanan was elbowed in the ribs by one of the Bucks players during the melee.
After things eventually calmed down, reports emerged that Bucks security was able to intervene and retrieve the ball for Antetokounmpo.
That being said, Giannis wasn't sure if the ball he got was the real deal, and questioned its authenticity in his post-game press conference.
"I have no idea, I’m not gonna lie," he said. "I have no idea. I don’t know, I really don’t know. I have a ball, but I don’t know if it’s the game ball.
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"It doesn’t feel like the game ball to me. It feels like a brand new ball. I can tell from — I played, what, 35 minutes today? I know how the game ball felt. The ball that I have, which I will take and I will give it to my mom for sure, but I don’t know if it’s actually the game ball.”
Giannis also revealed that he doesn't have the game ball from Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals - when he dropped 50 vs the Suns - in his possession.
After the fracas had subsided, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle told reporters there has been a misunderstanding.
"There was a misunderstanding about the game ball. It was Oscar Tshiebwe's first official NBA point. We always get the game ball. We were not thinking about Giannis' franchise record. … Unfortunate situation,” Carlise said during the postgame press conference.
It was a unfortunate end to a game that saw Giannis finish with 64 points as well as 14 rebounds, going 19-27 from the field.
He also broke the team record of 57 points set by Michael Redd in 2006, and surpassed his previous career high of 55 in a 123-113 victory over Washington in January 2023.
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