Last December, the Indiana Pacers took Giannis Antetokounmpo’s game ball and went home. Or so that’s what the Milwaukee Bucks star claimed. The Pacers’ alleged theft after the December game in Milwaukee made the Greek Freak so furious after his team’s record-setting 64-point performance that he chased them back to their locker room, setting off a scuffle and perhaps igniting the league’s newest rivalry.
But that’s all forgotten, right?
“We’re still looking for that basketball,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers quipped on Friday, hours before the two teams played for the first time this season. Rivers acknowledged that both teams will have plenty of motivation going into this one.
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But it turned out to lack the drama of last year’s tilt. The Bucks, now winners of five of their last six games, surged to a 10-0 start and didn’t look back, cruising to a 129-119 win.
Giannis’ game-ball beef game was one of just 11 meetings last year, including a game in Las Vegas for the semifinals of the inaugural NBA Cup and six tilts in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The upstart Pacers largely had their way with the Bucks, going 8-3 in games that never lacked for standout performances, petty drama, or technical fouls.
It wasn’t enough for the Pacers to run the Bucks off the court 128-119 in the NBA Cup game in Las Vegas. Burgeoning superstar Tyrese Haliburton tapped his wrist after a late-game 3-pointer, a clear diss aimed at Bucks superstar, who’s built his brand tapping his wrist for “Dame Time” late-game heroics.
When the teams met in the Eastern Conference playoffs, Lillard exploded for 19 points in the first quarter, and 35 points in the first half of Game One. The outburst set an all-time franchise record for points in one half of a playoff game and was the highest individual first-quarter total in a playoff opener since at least 1997. It was one of few highlights for the Bucks in their season series against the Pacers. They won the game, 109-94, but lost the series, 4 games to 2. In Game 3, Haliburton returned serve, hitting a floater and free throw in the final seconds of overtime to secure the Pacers’ win. This year, so far, Dame has bragging rights. He went for 24 points and 12 assists on Friday. Haliburton scored 18 of his own but was -18.
In a pivotal Game 4 matchup, the Bucks were without Antetokounmpo and Lillard, both out with injuries. They needed everyone to step up and reasonably expected a big game from backup big man Bobby Portis. That plan went horribly off-script just 7 minutes into the first quarter. Portis tangled with Andrew Nembhard battling for position down low. Portis lost his cool, giving a shove and then making contact with his head. Officials reviewed it and issued Portis two technical fouls. His night was over. The Pacers cruised to a 126-113 win. On Friday, Portis had a bit of redemption, fueling the Bucks early with a flurry of key buckets and finishing with 17 points and 7 rebounds.
Antetokounmpo went off for his two highest-scoring games of the season against the Pacers: 54 in November, followed by his 64-point masterclass in December. But the superstar got injured briefly before the playoffs and missed the entire series. On Friday, he picked up where he left off last season, cooking the Pacers for a triple-double: 37 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists.
There was little of last season’s chippiness in this year’s opener for the two rivals.
“Yeah, I’m sure there is,” Rivers said pregame when asked if there’s extra motivation. “We played in the playoffs and they beat us.” The lingering tension and renewed rivalry are good for the league, he said, and provide the teams – both of whom had struggled to a 6-9 start – a chance to test their mettle.
Friday, the Bucks turned the tables on last season’s results. And no controversy over that game ball, this time.