Antetokounmpo ejected for head-butt as Bucks beat Wizards
Giannis Antetokounmpo was ejected in the second quarter for head-butting Moritz Wagner on Tuesday night, but the Milwaukee Bucks still posted a 126-113 victory over the Washington Wizards in the NBA bubble near Orlando.
The incident occurred near the Milwaukee hoop after Antetokounmpo was whistled for a charging foul for running into the Washington center.
The two jawed briefly before Antetokounmpo lowered his head and somewhat gently drove his forehead into Wagner’s left temple.
Neither player was injured, and Antetokounmpo was ejected immediately.
The run-in occurred with 8:50 remaining in the first half and Milwaukee leading 35-25.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer challenged the charging call on Antetokounmpo, but a replay confirmed the infraction.
Antetokounmpo finished with 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds in just 10 minutes.
The Bucks (56-16) scored the game’s first six points, holding the Wizards scoreless for almost the first four minutes en route to just their third win in seven games in central Florida.
Rui Hachimura had 20 points to pace Washington (24-47), which lost its seventh straight since the restart.
Milwaukee never trailed in the game, leading by as many as eight in the first quarter and 16 in the second before coasting through the second half.
Brook Lopez led all scorers with 24 points for Milwaukee, which has already clinched the top seeding in the Eastern Conference.
Sterling Brown added 23 points, Frank Mason 19, D.J. Wilson 11 and Pat Connaughton 10 for the Bucks, who outshot the Wizards 50.6 percent to 41.1 percent.
Ish Smith backed Hachimura with 19 points off the bench for Washington, which was outscored 54-36 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Jerome Robinson chipped in with 15 points, Thomas Bryant 13, and Isaac Bonga and Anzejs Pasecniks 10 apiece for the Wizards, who have been eliminated from playoff contention.
Robinson also found time for a game-high seven assists. [AP]
“I don’t think I was frustrated with Wagner. I think it was just the whole, like, buildup of dirty plays in my mind, you know, guys tripping me, guys falling in front of my feet, holding me, hitting me." pic.twitter.com/1iNSc5bdXe
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 12, 2020
