Friday’s contest between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Chicago Bulls was a feisty affair. Ultimately, the Bucks dominated a shorthanded Bulls side, 113-97, en route to their fifth consecutive win.
Chicago, however, took a physical approach to the game. Things got so heated that at one point, a hard foul by big man Nikola Vucevic caused quite a commotion between the two teams before the Bulls center was ejected for his unsportsmanlike action.
Milwaukee Bucks Vet Patrick Beverley Speaks Out on Altercation
Vucevic’s evening ended early in the fourth quarter after the 6-foot-10 center was assessed with a Flagrant Foul 2 on Bucks guard A.J. Green. As far as flagrant fouls go, this one is as obvious as it gets:
Nikola Vucevic was hit with a flagrant 2 and ejected after this hard foul on AJ Green.
Thoughts? 🤔pic.twitter.com/X0aArtacFP
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 2, 2024
WTF is wrong with vucevic??!!!🤦🏽♂️
pic.twitter.com/ikfFwiMj2I— ³⁴ (@GiannisWorld) March 2, 2024
Bobby Portis and Patrick Beverley immediately rushed to Vucevic after seeing the hard foul. Thankfully, cooler head prevailed and the incident did not escalate.
After the game, Beverley commented on the incident as he admitted to being surprised by the intense rivalry between the Bucks and the Bulls:
“I just think the game of basketball is a physical game, obviously,” he said, via Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I didn’t know how big the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Chicago Bulls was until tonight. It’s how the game is, though. It’s played physical. You’re going to get hit. I like to be the guy who go out there and hit people instead of getting hit. So, that’s it.”
For his part, Green hit the deck hard after the foul. He immediately got up, though, and he was seen pretty hyped up after the play. The second-year shooting guard played down the incident after the game as he showed his appreciation to his vets for quickly coming to his defense:
“I was trying to get downhill, make a play,” Green said of the play. “That’s really about it. I’m glad ‘BP’ and Pat ‘Bev’ had my back. It’s basketball. I’m fine, man. It’s all good. It’s all good.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo Sounds Off on Team’s Toughness
While Vucevic may have been the only ejectee of the game, there were more than a few overly physical moments throughout the contest. DeMar DeRozan and Andre Drummond both had fouls that were reviewed for being hostile, while Alex Caruso and Ayo Dosonmu took part in some form of action as well.
The Bucks did not back down, though. Beverley and Portis stood as their enforcers, so to speak, which prompted some praise from superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo after the game:
“Bullies? We surrounded by bullies,” Antetokounmpo said. “Hey man, it feels good. Not to disrespect the game in any way, but I feel like I have a lot of passionate players, from Bobby, from Pat, from Jae, from AJ, from Beasley, from everybody. Brook. We have passion in us and we want to win. And sometimes, you know, we might shove and push. Or be more physical than usual. But it’s good to have a team like that. We’re kind of trying to change the narrative around here.”
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