Giannis drops a Bucks record 64 points on the Pacers, game ball DRAMA at the end of the night.

Before the postgame drama, let’s start at the start with the above video. After losing their first two matchups this season against an up-and-coming Pacers team, the Bucks were looking to make a statement at home last night. And did they ever! That made a several statements and most of them had Elaine Benes exclamation points after them.

Much like he was in the previous two matchups with the Pacers (he scored 55 in Indiana and 37 in the In Season Tournament), Giannis was dominant. This time to a different degree. He was Godzilla and the Pacers were fleeing Japanese. It became clear midway through the 4th quarter that he was going to have a shot to break Michael Redd’s single-game franchise scoring record of 57 points*. The Pacers pulled their starters with about 5 minutes to go, but Adrian Griffin left his guys in, in order to get Giannis that record. Giannis got to 58 points, subbed out of the game, but had to check back in when the Bucks bench couldn’t maintain a 20 point lead. He scored 6 more points, and ended his night was an ABSURD 64 points on 20/28 shooting, including 24/32 at the free throw line.

Now, let’s cut to the drama, drama, drama:

The Pacers were, as the kids say, ‘butthurt’ about Giannis staying in the game so long just to break a record. And they decided to try and steal the game ball, which Giannis would obviously want to commemorate the night that he dismantled them.

Here is video of a Pacers assistant coach making off with the ball despite Giannis demanding it:

Now I did some research on this assistant coach and it turns out his last name is actually Asshat. Mike Asshat. Google it, it’s nuts.

Anyway, this led to Giannis going after him, and several Bucks players heading to the Pacers locker room to try and retrieve the ball:

Pacers center, Myles Turner, seems to be squarely in the middle of this confrontation. Which is ironic because it was the best defense he played against Giannis all night. It takes GUTS to give up 64 points to a guy and then be this much of a child after the game. ‘Guts’ is the correct word, right?

Anyway, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said in his postgame that the reason they wanted the ball was because some Pacers rookie scored his first NBA point. Sure, Rick. Whatever you say man.

In Giannis’ postgame he said he wasn’t sure if he got the actual game ball, but they have ‘a’ ball and it is what it is.

Now at the end of the day this probably isn’t that big of a deal, but it does add a layer to this budding rivalry. This game also featured Giannis laying out Tyrese Haliburton with a forearm shiver after Haliburton was flexing on the Bucks following a dunk, Giannis getting body slammed in the 4th quarter, Bobby Portis getting ejected defending Giannis, and Thanasis almost going Super Saiyan coming off of the bench to defend his brother.

All of this led me to the following thought: WHEN DO THESE TWO TEAMS PLAY AGAIN! And it’s not too far down the road. They actually play BACK-TO-BACK games to start the new year. January 1st in Milwaukee, January 3rd in Indiana. It’s going to be SPICEY!

*I remember watching that Michael Redd game in 2006. It is absolute poetry that he dropped 57 and the Bucks couldn’t even win the game. Perfect synopsis of the Michael Redd Era.

PS: Pacers fans were bitching online all night about Giannis shooting 32 free throws (and making 24 of them!). They’re right about one thing, it’s crazy that he shot 32 free throws. Because he should have shot 45. The Pacers hacked him literally every single time he touched the ball and basically dared the officials to blow a whistle on every play. Fun strategy!