Antetokounmpo Scores Career-high Points In Chaotic NBA Game

Nigerian-born Greek basketball star, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a career-high 64 points as he helped Milwaukee Bucks to defeat the Indiana Pacers 140-126 in a game that was overshadowed by altercations.

Antetokounmpo, 29, broke Michael Redd’s 2006 record of 57 points while also grabbing 14 rebounds.

The win has helped the Bucks to maintain their second spot in the Eastern Conference.

Note that the Bucks and Pacers have already played twice this month; on December 7, Indiana won 128-119 in the in-season tournament semifinals, before facing each other again on Wednesday night, December 13.

In the fourth quarter of the game, there was an escalation of emotions when Antetokounmpo was driving for the basket and Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith wrapped his arm over his neck. Another fight broke out when the Greek rushed off the court to taunt Pacers players following the final buzzer.

The Nigerian basketballer who represents the Greece national team, got into a fight with the Pacers after the game as he was trying to reclaim the game ball.

The fight started when Oscar Tshiebwe, a rookie, was given the game ball after scoring his first NBA point off the bench. Rick Carlisle, the head coach of the Pacers, said this incident escalated into a free-for-all at the end of the game.

“We were not thinking about Giannis’ franchise record so we grabbed the ball and a couple of minutes later several of their players ended up in our hallway,” Carlisle said.

“There was a big fracas, melee whatever. I don’t think any punches landed but our general manager got an elbow in the ribs from one of their players.

“Unfortunate situation. It didn’t need to escalate to that.

“Third time we’ve played these guys in the past two to three weeks so things are heated and I understand all that. But for it to come into the hallway… it didn’t need to happen that way.”