Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from an eight-game injury layoff to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a much-needed win in Chicago, but it didn’t happen without controversy.
The Bucks star capped off the win with an uncontested windmill dunk, which angered some members of the Bulls as Milwaukee was ahead by seven points prior to Antetokounmpo’s final dunk and could have just run out the clock.
He was initially confronted by Chicago’s Nikola Vucevic as Antetokounmpo walked onto the court after the dunk before Bulls teammate Coby White bumped into the star.
Benches cleared quickly, though no punches were thrown.
Antetokounmpo defended his actions and noted where the team stands in the Eastern Conference standings.
“We are 11th in the East,” said Antetokounmpo, who has been the subject of trade rumors. “[We’ve] I have to keep finding an identity and if that gets a little messy in the end, then so be it. We are not champions. Why do we have to run out the clock and have respect and fair play? We are now fighting for our lives.”
White disagreed with Antetokounmpo’s thought process.
“He shouldn’t have dunked the ball,” White said. “It’s disrespectful to the game. I said, ‘Bro, you’re better than that. The game’s over. Why [did] You [have] to do that?’ It’s a matter of respect.”
It was Antetokounmpo’s first game since December 3 after being sidelined with a right calf strain. Milwaukee went 2-6 without their best player and is 13-19.
“If we keep losing, probably half the team won’t be here,” Antetokounmpo said of Milwaukee’s plight. “We’re not going to make the play-offs. It really doesn’t matter to me [what Chicago thinks]. At the end of the day, I just want to be available, be healthy and help my team win. And if [a windmill dunk] is what needs to happen so that everyone wakes up and understands: ‘We are fighting for our lives and we have to get our hands dirty’, so be it.”
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