The hostilities between the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers did not end with the mere conclusion of the series.
Indiana officially eliminated the Milwaukee with a victory in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. on Tuesday night. After the contest went into overtime, the Pacers rattled off a late 8-0 run in the final minute to stun the Bucks by the final score of 119-118 and win their series 4-1.
After the final whistle, the two teams were exchanging handshakes when Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo got into it with Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin. Antetokounmpo and Mathurin were embracing when it appeared that Antetokounmpo said something to Mathurin to set him off (while also grabbing the back of Mathurin’s head somewhat aggressively).
Mathurin proceeded to push the former MVP Antetokounmpo off him, and Antetokounmpo responded angrily. Players from both teams then got into the mix to separate the two as shoves and heated words were exchanged.
Take a look at the video.
Antetokounmpo was also involved in a separate incident with John Haliburton, the father of Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. John, who was sitting courtside at the game, had his own postgame embrace with Antetokounmpo that went wrong.
The two shook hands but quickly went nose-to-nose with each other and traded some hostile words. You can see that clip below.
The Bucks and Pacers have bad blood dating back years now, especially after the Pacers eliminated the Bucks in both the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament as well as in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs. Antetokounmpo himself also has a history of animosity with the Pacers, mostly notably his ugly 2023 game-ball incident.
Even in just this series alone, the two teams got very heated with each other multiple times. With the Pacers now having eliminated the Bucks from a third competition, the question now turns to the future of Antetokounmpo. Many teams expect that Milwaukee will have to trade the nine-time All-Star Antetokounmpo this offseason, especially after the Achilles tear suffered by co-star Damian Lillard earlier this week.
