Giannis Antetokounmpo suspended for Milwaukee Bucks’ regular season finale
By Adam McGee
Following his headbutt on Moe Wagner, Giannis Antetokounmpo has received a one-game suspension to rule him out of the Milwaukee Bucks’ regular season finale.
It’s a case of disaster averted for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Following an incident in the second quarter of the Bucks’ Tuesday night win over the Wizards, in which the reigning MVP was ejected for headbutting Washington big man Moe Wagner, it was inevitable that further investigation and punishment were going to be forthcoming for Milwaukee’s superstar.
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That news became official on Wednesday evening, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was first to report that the NBA had dished out a one-game suspension to Antetokounmpo, meaning he’ll miss the Bucks’ regular season finale against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.
The precedent for previous instances of headbutts in NBA games had suggested that would be the penalty for Giannis, but with no margin for error and the Bucks’ playoff run likely starting on Monday, there will still have been an air of trepidation within the franchise, and the fanbase, before the punishment was revealed.
The news will have little bearing for the Bucks, who have nothing to play for and have long had their seeding position at the top of the Eastern Conference wrapped up, but it could yet have major implications in how the postseason race shakes out around the league.
With the race to make the play-in game for the eighth seed in the Western Conference particularly heated, the Memphis Grizzlies should now have a significantly improved chance of beating the Bucks, and therefore sealing at worst the ninth spot and a place in that decisive contest in the West.
As such, Antetokounmpo’s actions could yet prove to have dire consequences for teams such as the Suns, Trail Blazers, and Spurs. Of course, it’s also debatable as to whether Antetokounmpo would even have played in the Bucks’ final game in the first place.
Following Tuesday’s game, Giannis expressed his regret for his moment of rage when speaking to the media, as was detailed by ESPN’s Eric Woodyard:
"“Terrible action,” Antetokounmpo said. “If I could go back, turn back time and go back to that play, I wouldn’t do it. But at the end of the day, we’re all human, we all make mistakes. I think I’ve done a great job all year, in my career at keeping my composure and focus on the game, but at the end of the day, we’re human and make mistakes. But at the end of the day, you learn from it, keep playing good basketball and keep moving forward.”"
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For both Giannis and his team, there will simply be a sense of relief that they can now move on from the moment at minimal cost, allowing Giannis to fully put it beyond him with positive postseason play starting against the Orlando Magic early next week.