Australian NBA star Josh Giddey has been thrust into the middle of an ugly NBA scuffle after Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo broke an unspoken cardinal rule.
The ‘Greek Freak’ was playing his first game back from a calf injury that forced him to ride the pine for eight matches and dropped 29 points in 25 minutes as his side claimed victory 112-103.
However, it was his final act of the night that boiled blood in Chicago.
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Instead of dribbling out the clock with his side well in front, Antetokounmpo, a nine-time NBA all-star and champion, chose to give Bucks fans an exclamation point, storming down caught and slamming home a windmill dunk.
Giddey took the ball from the in-bounds and hurled a half-court heave as time expired before scenes turned ugly.
Bulls veteran Nikola Vucevic took exception to the star’s dunk, getting in Antetokounmpo’s face before a mass of players and staff converged on the pair at centre court.
Giddey was pictured right at the front of the queue as Vucevic and Antetokounmpo were separated.
Despite there being an “unwritten” rule about not stat padding during the final moments of games, many past players and analysts spoke out in support of the Greeks’ actions.
“You can’t be mad at Giannis,” one of the TV commentators said.
“There’s an unspoken rule you don’t do that, but as soon as the Bulls saw he was starting to dribble towards the basket, they should’ve went and fouled him.”
ESPN analyst Bobby Marks posted on X: “Enough with these ‘unwritten rules’.
Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey. Credit: Jordan Godfree/Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images/Sipa
“It’s amazing when a player(s) gets their feelings hurt on plays like this.”
Giddey had 13 points, nine assists and seven rebounds as the defeat leaves Chicago ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 15-16 record.
Sunday’s loss also snapped a five-game winning streak.
