It would probably be safe to say that the Indiana Pacers played the role of party poopers after Wednesday’s high-profile clash against the Milwaukee Bucks. This is after Indiana decided to take the game ball to their locker room after seeing Giannis Antetokounmpo drop a career-high 64 points.
I mean, who does that?
Apparently, the Pacers do.
Milwaukee Bucks’ Cam Payne Reacts to Pacers’ Antics
Bucks guard Cam Payne could not help but call out the Pacers after watching their post-game antics. According to the 29-year-old veteran, Giannis had every right to go after that ball the way he did:
“Man wanted that ball,” Payne said, via Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Following my team, helping my teammate out. It’s just a lot of commotion, honestly. He wanted his ball, man. That’s what it looked like, they took the ball. That man had 60. Dame (Lillard reached fifth) all-time in threes. And they on the road.
“You ain’t gotta be mad about the loss or anything. They just beat us in the In-Season Tournament. It’s just basketball. Gotta show ’em love. We at home. If y’all was at home we can’t do that, you feel me? Just a little bit of that.”
Antetokounmpo was fuming the moment he realized that the Pacers took the game ball. He angrily confronted Tyrese Haliburton on the court before storming to Indiana’s locker room to try and retrieve his piece of memorabilia.
Payne didn’t really say it directly but it appears that he was implying that the Pacers were being salty about the loss.
It goes without saying that there’s now a real rivalry between these two teams. They face off again at the Fiserv Forum on New Year’s Day.
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