Giannis drops 64; scuffle ensues with Pacers after Bucks' win - ESPN

MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo exchanged heated words with members of the Indiana staff and raced toward the Pacers locker room Wednesday night as both teams squared off in a hallway in a dispute over the game ball following the Milwaukee Bucks star's franchise-record 64-point performance.

After Milwaukee's 140-126 victory, Antetokounmpo had an animated discussion with Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton and other Pacers before rushing from the court toward the visitors locker room, seemingly in search of the game ball.

Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said afterward the Pacers took the ball for Oscar Tshiebwe, who scored his first official NBA point in the contest.

That led to a confrontation between members of the teams in the arena hallway. Carlisle said several Bucks players, including Antetokounmpo, came into the Pacers tunnel looking for the ball and that a scuffle ensued. The coach said Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan was elbowed in the ribs by one of the Milwaukee players.

«Unfortunate situation,» Carlisle said. «We don't need the official game ball. There's two game balls there; we could've taken the other one. But it didn't need to escalate to that. Really just unfortunate. Third game we played these guys within 2½ [weeks], three weeks, so things are heated with the competition, and I understand all that. But for it to come into the hallway, it didn't need to happen that way.»

Bucks guard Cameron Payne said he was one of the players who went down the tunnel.

«Man wanted that ball,» Payne said, referring to Antetokounmpo. «I'm following my team, helping my teammate out. It was just a lot of commotion, honestly. He just wanted his ball, man.»

Antetokounmpo echoed Carlisle's sentiments, calling the incident