Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 43 points and 13 rebounds. the Milwaukee Bucks lost 113-107 to the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
However, after the game, Celtics players expressed their anger with Antetokounmpo and his behavior on the court. Jaylen Brown was particularly blunt with his feelings about the Bucks star.
“Giannis is a kid,” Brown said, via NBC Sports Boston. “I’m just focused on helping my team get a win. And that’s what we did tonight.”
If Brown’s anger was about Antetokounmpo’s fake handshake, something you might see from a fourth grader on the playground, it seems pretty humorless. However, he was asked about an offensive foul Antetokounmpo made before the exchange down the court and that does more to explain Brown’s answer.
On the play in question, Antetokounmpo swung his left elbow and hit Brown in the side of the head as he attempted a shot in the lane.
Walking back down the court, Antetokounmpo attempted a handshake or handshake with Brown, as if to say, “No hard feelings.” Brown was reluctant to acknowledge the gesture. But when Antetokounmpo pulled his hand away to run through his hair, it showed insincerity.
If Brown was already upset about being elbowed in the head, the fake handshake must have pissed him off. He effectively let Antetokounmpo know about it with a hard foul in the fourth quarter that was called Flagrant 1.
When asked about Brown calling him a kid, Antetokounmpo acted surprised.
“Oh, that’s what he said?” he replied. “Dang.”
That wasn’t the only controversial play Antetokounmpo was involved in on Sunday. Earlier in the game, he stuck his left leg out while Jayson Tatum was shooting a 3-pointer. That caused Tatum to roll his ankle when he landed on Antetokounmpo’s foot.
Antetokounmpo was not called for a grounding foul, which Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla complained about after the game.
“That’s ridiculous,” Mazzulla told reporters. “Can’t miss that. Can’t miss that.”
“I could be out for 6 weeks…for it to be a no-call…that crap is frustrating.”
Jayson Tatum reacts to missed call on Giannis where he rolled his ankle, and how he kept his composure pic.twitter.com/YaG45RrUr5
— Celtics at NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSeltics) November 11, 2024
Of course, Tatum was upset about the no-call and so was his sore ankle.
“There are certain calls that I feel you can’t miss,” Tatum said. “Your job is to protect the guys on the court, protect the shooter. That’s something, I could be out for six weeks or whatever.”
“For it to be a no-call, much less they couldn’t even review it or look at it, then I lose my s—-, curse at someone, then I get a technician, it’s like a double whammy,” he added. “That s—- is frustrating.”
Tatum finished with 31 points and 13 rebounds, while his team also got the win. A game between the Celtics and Bucks would seem like a possible matchup of the Eastern Conference finals this season. However, given Milwaukee’s struggles, a postseason bid looks doubtful at this point. But there is a lot of the season to be played.
The Celtics and Bucks play again on December 5 in Boston.
