© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
What we learned from the Milwaukee Bucks' impressive win over the Indiana Pacers
The Milwaukee Bucks gained some measure of revenge against the Indiana Pacers, beating them 140-126 in a contentious affair. Here are two key takeaways from the game.
Giannis magical night
Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks’ 29-year-old superstar, had himself a night to remember. After exclaiming on Monday that he wanted to “make something happen” against the Pacers—the team that ended Milwaukee’s run in the In-Season Tournament—the “Greek Freak” lived up to his words and established several records on a historic Wednesday night.
Giannis scored 64 points to shatter Michael Redd’s previous record of 54 points, which he set on November 11, 2006. The versatile 7-footer was determined and laser-focused, making all but eight of his 28 attempts from the field. He was also on point from the charity stripe, going 24-of-32 from the free-throw line.
“It’s a great feeling. It’s a great feeling, being able to do it,” Antetokounmpo said.
“As much as I can, I try to play basketball for the right reason. I try to play basketball to win, try to play basketball to help my teammates be great, but at the end of the day, being able to break this record in front of the fans here in this stadium, it’s a great feeling, too.”
Fuss over the game ball
Giannis’ unforgettable night was marred by some fuss over where the game ball was and who it should belong to. According to reporting by Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, the Indiana Pacers took the game ball and handed it to rookie Oscar Tshiebwe, who scored his points in the NBA during the game.
A furious Giannis, who had wanted the ball to be kept as a memento of his record-breaking feat, was seen running in the direction of the Pacers’ locker room. Haynes later reported that the Bucks’ security staff eventually got the game ball. However, Antetokounmpo claimed he wasn’t sure if his ball was indeed the ball they used in the game.
“I have a ball, but I don’t know if it’s the game ball,” Antetokounmpo said.
“It doesn’t feel like the game ball to me, it feels like a brand new ball. I can tell. I played 35 minutes today, I know how the game ball felt … I’ve never seen this before.”
