Things got a bit chippy between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyrese Haliburton early in Wednesday’s clash between the Bucks and Pacers.
After Haliburton flushed away a dunk during the first quarter, and let out a shout in celebration, he ran into Antetokounmpo as he turned to get back on defense.
The contact with Antetokounmpo sent Haliburton to the floor, where he looked perplexed as to what had just happened. After getting to his feet, the two All-Stars could be seen hugging it out.
Milwaukee’s two-time MVP was issued a technical foul after officials reviewed the incident, and Haliburton added another point to his tally by draining the technical free throw.
Tyrese Haliburton goes coast-to-coast for the dunk then gets bumped by Giannis ???? pic.twitter.com/OKCjFTXLuG
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 14, 2023
The two teams met in early December during the NBA’s in-season tournament, where Indiana eliminated the Bucks during the semifinals. It didn’t take long for sparks to fly on Wednesday night, though Haliburton and Antetokounmpo quickly made up.
The two were battling throughout the first half, as Milwaukee jumped out to a 70–63 lead. Antetokounmpo had 21 points by the time the halftime whistle sounded, while Haliburton had 19.