Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the NBA’s most exciting young players, but the stunt he pulled Thursday night isn’t going to win the Greek Freak many new fans.
With Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks trailing the Chicago Bulls by 30 (yes, 30) in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series, the second-year big man decided to channel his inner linebacker, truck-sticking Bulls swingman Mike Dunleavy into the front row with a full-speed shoulder charge.
Antetokounmpo, unsurprisingly, was hit with a flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game.
Antetokounmpo and Dunleavy were the centers of attention throughout Game 6, which the Bucks lost in disastrous fashion, 120-66 on their home court, to bring about an end to their playoff run.
Dunleavy actually threw the first cheap shot, socking Bucks point guard Michael Carter-Williams in the jaw before the game had become a complete train wreck for Milwaukee.
Dunleavy then gave Antetokounmpo a shove late in the second quarter, though there clearly was some embellishment on the 20-year-old’s part.
None of those plays had any significant impact on the outcome, however. The blowout win clinched the series for the Bulls, who advance to take on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Thumbnail photo via Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Sports Images
