Even though the Milwaukee Bucks won against the Detroit Pistons 120-118, Giannis Antetokounmpo was ejected late in the third quarter for his second technical foul after mean mugging after a dunk.
Milwaukee Bucks HC Speaks on Giannis Ejection
Giannis Antetokounmpo received a foul after he took the ball the length of the court and dunked on Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart. He then gave him the mean mug look that Giannis has come to be famous for, and the refs assessed it as a technical foul and the Bucks’ star was ejected from the game.
The Bucks forward tried to question the referees on the call, trying to speak with them, but when he couldn’t get through to them, he sat down in the front row of seats, crossing his legs and motioned to the refs to essentially continue the game, still disagreeing with their call. Antetokounmpo was eventually sent back to the locker room.
Giannis just got ejected pic.twitter.com/DBN4Izqwii
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 9, 2023
Needless to say, the fans were not happy with that call as Fiserv Forum roared with boos.
According to NBA Referee Rodney Mott, Antetokounmpo “turns to his opponent and taunts him and a taunting technical foul was called, an unsportsmanlike. And he was ejected from the game, per rule, because two unsportsmanlike technical fouls, you are ejected from the game.”
NBA Referee Rodney Mott’s Comments to a pool reporter after DET-MIL game:https://t.co/4aHauWpv0b
— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) November 9, 2023
Antetokounmpo had also received an additional technical foul with just under four minutes left in the first half. Mott explained that “Giannis drives to the basket and he thinks he gets fouled. Then he approaches the game official and uses profanity, which is an unsportsmanlike technical foul and was issued at that time.”
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin wasn’t initially told anything about Giannis’ ejection from the game, but says he has to do a better job being vocal and sticking up for his players.
“I think I need to be a little more vocal during the game when he is getting hit and stick up for him a little bit better. So I’ve been dropping the ball on that,” Griffin said. “It’s an emotional game, and he made a phenomenal play…I think I just gotta do a better job of protecting him.”
Antetokounmpo finished his night with 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, ten rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in 22 minutes. This ejection was just his third in his career.
GIANNIS EJECTED AFTER STARE DOWN 😳 pic.twitter.com/ue53QFjjOT
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 9, 2023
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