Bucks Pacers Game Ball Controversy Giannis Mad Explained

Giannis Antetokounmpo sets a career-high and Bucks franchise record for points with 64, but the game ball goes missing.

Giannis Antetokounmpo's career-high 64-point performance in the Milwaukee Bucks' 140-124 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night was the talk of the town. With an exclamation mark on the proceedings in the form of a dunk on the break with 26 seconds remaining, Giannis set a new record for himself and the Bucks franchise. This victory also served as a bit of revenge for the Bucks after last week's In-Season Tournament semifinal loss to Indiana.

The game, however, didn't end without some drama. A hard foul on Giannis earlier in the night by Aaron Nesmith caused a scuffle, leading to a tense atmosphere late in the game. The Pacers weren't particularly happy that Giannis was still in the game, and this tension continued into the postgame events.

After the game, Giannis got into a heated exchange with Tyrese Haliburton and Pacers assistant coach Lloyd Pierce when he was told that the game ball from his career night had been taken by the Pacers. This led to Giannis confronting the Pacers in the tunnel, demanding the return of the ball. The situation escalated, leading to confusion, anger, and even a conspiracy theory about what happened to the basketball.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle explained that it was a misunderstanding and that the Pacers had actually taken the ball for rookie Oscar Tshiebwe, who scored his first official NBA point with a late free throw. However, it was later revealed that the Pacers had not taken the actual game ball, but instead were given a reserve ball.

Video evidence showed that someone in a Bucks pullover, potentially a member of Bucks security, had nabbed the actual game ball right after the game ended. Despite this, Giannis was not convinced that he had been given the correct game ball, noting that it seemed "new" and didn't feel right.

The entire situation left many confused, with Pacers players taking to Twitter to express their bewilderment. Damian Lillard found the entire controversy amusing, attributing it to the "pettiness and gamesmanship" of the NBA.

In the end, it seems that the correct game ball is in Giannis' possession, but he remains skeptical and a little upset about the situation. The Pacers claim they grabbed a ball that ended up not being the real one, which they wanted to give to a rookie who had already scored a point in the NBA. Lillard, however, believes that this is just cover for some gamesmanship and pettiness. Overall, the entire situation left everyone scratching their heads and finding it a little bit funny.