Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Wednesday night’s marquee matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics already had the basketball world’s attention as two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference battled it out.
But it piqued the public’s curiosity as Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo appeared to get into a dispute with coach Adrian Griffin on the sideline during the second half of Milwaukee’s 119-116 loss.
The two-time league MVP revealed next to nothing when asked to explain the exchange postgame.
The incident occurred with just under six minutes remaining in the third quarter, following a carrying call on Antetokounmpo. At that point, Griffin was preparing to bring in Bobby Portis to replace Milwaukee’s superstar.
Initially, Antetokounmpo shook his head before heading to the scorer’s table and having an extended conversation with Griffin. He went back in at the next dead ball.
Griffin was a bit more revealing during his press conference, but not by much. He downplayed it to the simple fact that Antetokounmpo didn’t want to come out of the game at that point.
“He wanted to stay in, I wanted to give him a breather. That’s all it was,” Griffin said, per Bontemps. “And then I told him to stay at the table for one possession, and he got right back out there.”
Despite being 10-5, tied for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, it hasn’t been an easy transition for Adrian Griffin in his first year at the helm, despite all the talent at his disposal.
While their offense is great, ranked fourth in points per game, the Bucks defense has left much to be desired—22nd in defensive rating. And that was evident as they fell behind by 21 points against Boston before making it a much closer game in the fourth quarter.
