Giannis Antetokounmpo Has Good Reason For Not Criticizing Game 3 Refs

Giannis Antetokounmo thought before he spoke Saturday night and he saved some cash in the process.

Shaky officiating was one of the main storylines coming out of the Game 3 matchup between the Celtics and the Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Both Boston and Milwaukee were whistled for multiple questionable calls, which drew the ire of players on both sides over the course of the contest.

Antetokounmpo was center stage for several of those aforementioned fouls. Such is life when you play such a physical brand of basketball and you’re one of the best players in the NBA. But after the Bucks’ 103-101 win, the two-time league MVP made a financially conscious choice to not assess the officials’ performance.

“How much does it cost if I say something, comment about the ref? Is it $20,000? It’s a lot of money, so I should not do it,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “I’ll save my money. I’ve got to pay for diapers. I just got to play through it. We all got to play through it. Sometimes they’re going to call it, sometimes they’re not going to call it. But at the end of the day, it’s playoff basketball.”

Milwaukee now owns a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals series. The C’s and the Bucks will meet for Game 4 on Monday night.