Giannis Antetokounmpo couldn't believe he was ejected from Bucks' win over Pistons
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was ejected from Wednesday night's game against the Detroit Pistons at the 9-minute mark of the third quarter after a ferocious dunk that gave the Bucks a 73-60 lead.
After he came down from the dunk, Antetokounmpo stared at Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart and he was assessed the technical from official Scott Twardoski.
Antetokounmpo couldn't believe the call and briefly sat down in a courtside seat before finally heading to the locker room. He then followed Twardoski briefly after the call looking for an explanation.
Antetokounmpo left Wednesday without speaking to the media, but his teammates didn't believe he earned that second technical foul.
"He made like a little face and he took off running and he didn’t say a word," Jae Crowder said. "I think that’s why he was so frustrated, like you really threw me out and I didn’t say anything?"
Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin said he wasn't given a reason for the second technical, but felt he should be more of a presence before it even gets to that point with Antetokounmpo.
“I think I just have to do a better job," Griffin said. "Giannis doesn’t complain to the refs. He’s really respectful to the refs and I think I’m letting him down in that sense. I think I need to be a little more, just vocal, during the games when he’s getting hit and kind of stick up for him a little bit better. I’ve been dropping the ball on that."
The two-time league MVP earned his first technical foul with 3:47 to go in the second quarter away from the ball, as Detroit's Cade Cunningham was called for a foul on Bucks point guard Damian Lillard.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo received a technical shortly after his brother left the court.
Prior to the technical fouls called on the Antetokounmpos, Stewart and Jae Crowder had been given double technicals for an off-ball foul by Stewart following a Bobby Portis basket. Brook Lopez had also been hit with a technical while arguing a foul call in the second quarter.
Joining Twardoski, the game's umpire, on the officiating crew were crew chief Rodney Mott and referee Mitchell Ervin.
Mott explained Giannis Antetokounmpo's ejection after the game.
"After the dunk Giannis turns to his opponent and taunts him and a taunting technical foul was called, an unsportsmanlike," Mott told the pool reporter. "And he was ejected from the game, per rule, because two unsportsmanlike technical fouls, you are ejected from the game."
Antetokounmpo finished his night with 15 points on 6 of 16 shooting. He also had nine rebounds and five assists. The Bucks squandered their lead without Antetokounmpo but finished strong down the stretch to rally to a 120-118 win.
How many times has Giannis Antetokounmpo been ejected?
It is the fourth career regular season ejection for Antetokounmpo and fifth overall:
- April 30, 2015 vs. Chicago (playoff game)
- Jan. 28, 2016 vs. Memphis
- April 1, 2018 at Denver
- Aug. 11, 2020 vs. Washington (in the "bubble")