Bucks Zone

Giannis Antetokounmpo drops one-word reaction about heated verbal spat with Adrian Griffin

Giannis lost his cool after being subbed out by HC Griffin.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
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Other than their highly awaited reunion with Jrue Holiday and first regular season game collision with a longtime Conference rival and fellow title heavyweight, the Milwaukee Bucks' 119-116 recent defeat against the Boston Celtics drew attention from basketball fans for one particular moment. Giannis Antetokounmpo and head coach Adrian Griffin were spotted having an intriguing argument in the final frame of the Wednesday night duel at TD Garden.

The moment came with over five minutes remaining when Antetokounmpo, who didn't want to be taken out after committing a carrying violation, was substituted for Bobby Portis. Instead of heading to the bench, the irate superstar sat at the scorer's table and initiated a frustrated conversation with Griffin, only to see himself back on the court after the next dead ball.

"No" comment

After the clash in which the Bucks fell short of their aggressive, delayed rally, Griffin bluntly addressed what happened between him and Antetokounmpo. While the neophyte coach provided a thin, straightforward detail of his interaction with the two-time MVP, Antetokounmpo came up with a much thinner perspective regarding the incident.

"No," Giannis said.

Something to get worried about?

During the Bucks' head coach hiring process to replace the dismissed Mike Budenholzer, Antetokounmpo notably endorsed Griffin as his preferred candidate to take the opening. But after what happened and Giannis' eventual rejection to talk about it, plenty of chatter and speculations have started swirling around.

Still, the Bucks are doing well under Griffin's guidance. Despite the tough road loss against the C's, they remain in third place of the East standings with a 10-5 record.

The slow-starting Milwaukee Bucks lose to the Boston Celtics

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.