Things got heated between the Bucks and Pacers on Wednesday night even before postgame the controversy over the fate of the game ball that led to a scuffle in the tunnel.
In the fourth quarter, Indiana’s Aaron Nesmith was called for a technical foul when he wrapped his arms around Giannis Antetokounmpo as the Milwaukee star drove the basket. Nesmith threw Antetokounmpo to the floor, prompting an on-court confrontation between several players. Bucks forward Bobby Portis was the most upset with Nesmith, staring daggers at him as numerous people held him back.
On the Milwaukee bench, Antetokounmpo’s older brother, Thanasis, leapt up and was prepared to jump to his defense. Or at least that’s what it looked like.
Thanasis being held back after Nesmith and Giannis got tied up 😳
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 14, 2023
Things got chippy in Bucks-Pacers 👀 pic.twitter.com/b4HFmC4ACW
You can see Thanasis at the top of the frame in the video above. After Giannis is thrown to the ground, Thanasis and Jae Crowder (in street clothes) jump to their feet. Crowder has to hold Thanasis back to keep him from going out on the court. (Leaving the bench to join an altercation earns a player an automatic one-game suspension.)
But here’s the funny thing: Crowder didn’t have to do much to hold Thanasis back. He held himself back. Look closely and you can see Thanasis wrap his arm around Crowder’s—simultaneously restraining himself while acting as though he was trying to break free. That’s the perfect sort of reaction from a bench player during an incident like that. Let everyone think you’re prepared to back up your teammates but don’t actually pose a serious threat to anyone’s safety.
