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Stephen Douglas

Giannis Grabbed Pacers Player's Head During Postgame Handshakes After Bucks Collapse

Giannis Antetokounmpo grabs Bennedict Mathurin by the back of the head. | Photo by Justin Casterline / Getty Images

Giannis Antetokounmpo got into a physical altercation with Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin after the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated from the playoffs.

The Bucks blew a seven-point lead with less than 40 seconds remaining in overtime and tensions were high right after the game, with Antetokounmpo also getting into it with Tyrese Haliburton's father.

The bad blood between the teams also surfaced when the Bucks star spoke with Mathurin as players shook hands at the completion of the series. After two normal interactions with Pacers players, Giannis grabbed Mathurin by the back of the head and pulled him in close.

Mathurin pushed him away while holding onto his jersey, but Giannis did not immediately let go of his head. Pat Connaughton and Obi Toppin had to get involved to pull the two apart.

It's not surprising that an intense series that ended with an emotional collapse featured some tense moments while guys were dapping each other up, but we haven't seen Giannis this upset since the Pacers tried to keep the ball he scored 64 points with.


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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Giannis Grabbed Pacers Player's Head During Postgame Handshakes After Bucks Collapse.

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