Viewers of last night’s game between the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks witnessed one of the strangest, most controversial calls of the season thus far.
Early in the third quarter, with the Bucks leading 71-60, Giannis blocked a shot, carried the ball up the court, and threw down a vicious slam in the face of Isaiah Stewart. Then, after the dunk, he stared down Stewart for roughly one second…which was apparently enough to earn him his second technical foul of the game and a subsequent ejection.
Check it out:
I totally understand the NBA’s desire to rid the game of excessive taunting, but this is way overboard. Stewart was literally standing right in front of Giannis, who gave him one of the shortest, most harmless stare-downs you’ll ever see. It certainly didn’t warrant a technical foul, especially one that would mark Giannis’ second of the game and force him to head to the locker room.
It was a devastating loss for the Bucks — one that nearly cost them the game, as they barely hung on for the 120-118 victory without their top player.
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Th questionable call drew the ire of NBA fans on social media, who accused the refs of everything from racism, to being soft, to rigging the game:
Giannis had 15 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks at that point in the game. Don’t be surprised if the league looks over this incident and decides to rescind the technical foul call.
