Image Source: X
[Saba Sports News] The tension between the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers didn’t end with the final buzzer of their playoff series.
The Pacers officially eliminated the Bucks on Tuesday night with a dramatic 119-118 overtime win in Game 5 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, closing out the first-round series 4-1. After the game, emotions boiled over during the traditional postgame handshakes when Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had a heated exchange with Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin.
The two embraced briefly before Antetokounmpo appeared to say something and grabbed the back of Mathurin’s head in a way that sparked a reaction.
Mathurin shoved him away, and Antetokounmpo responded angrily, prompting players from both teams to step in and separate them amid rising tensions.
Antetokounmpo also had a separate confrontation with John Haliburton, the father of Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who was seated courtside. Their handshake quickly escalated into a face-to-face exchange filled with hostile words.
This postgame drama adds to the long-standing animosity between the Bucks and Pacers. Indiana had already knocked Milwaukee out of the 2023 In-Season Tournament, and now again in the 2024 playoffs. Antetokounmpo’s personal history with the Pacers includes the infamous “game ball” dispute last season.
With Indiana now eliminating the Bucks in three straight competitions, questions loom over the future of Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee—especially after co-star Damian Lillard suffered an Achilles tear earlier this week.
Trade speculation surrounding the nine-time All-Star is expected to intensify this offseason.