Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo made history on Wednesday, December 13, establishing a personal milestone and a new record for the franchise.
The 29-year-old dropped a career-high 64 points on 20 of 28 shooting against the Indiana Pacers.
It was the Greek Freak's first 60+ point performance of his career and the most ever scored by a Buck in a single game. He added 14 rebounds, three assists, and four steals in the effort.
The Bucks took a 140-126 win at home, avenging their loss to the team that eliminated them in the semifinals of the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament earlier this month.
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Tensions erupt after Giannis Antetokounmpo's career night
Despite the remarkable occasion, emotions ran high after the game when Antetokounmpo became furious when the Pacers ran away with the game ball. He initially rushed into the visiting locker room, where some personnel had to restrain him before returning to the playing court.
Giannis tried to go into the Pacers locker room after they took the game ball from his 64 piece pic.twitter.com/Z9LnPQihzJ
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) December 14, 2023
After he made his way to the floor, the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player aggressively exchanged words with Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, demanding for the game ball's return.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle explains team's perspective
Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle clarified the team's perspective, stating that while Indiana did take the game ball at the buzzer, it wasn't an attempt to steal it from Antetokounmpo.
Instead, they wanted it for their rookie center Oscar Tshiebwe, who had scored his first NBA point in the game.
The Pacers went a step further by sharing Tshiebwe's inspiring journey on social media as the game-ball controversy was happening, highlighting his story of coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo to pursue his NBA dreams.
Giannis gets his game ball back, but there's a catch
Antetokounmpo eventually got the game ball in his hands, but there's a surprising twist. He expressed uncertainty about whether the ball he received was the actual game ball.
The 2021 NBA Finals MVP mentioned that it didn't feel like the game ball to him but seemed like a brand-new ball.
"I played 35 minutes today. I know how the game ball felt," the 6-foot-11 big man said.
Adrian Wojnarowski clears the air
League insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN suggested that all the commotion might have been unnecessary.
Video footage and eyewitness accounts indicate that a Bucks official physically took the game ball at the buzzer.
In a gesture of compromise, the Pacers gave Tshiebwe a replacement ball to commemorate his first NBA points.
Tyrese Haliburton speaks up
Haliburton, the league's newest star and a Wisconsin native, used the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to throw a subtle dig at Antetokounmpo's postgame comments.
The 23-year-old posted a Dr. Seuss meme that says, "The cap on this app."
"Cap" is a colloquial term used to denote a falsehood or a lie.
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