NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo ejected for headbutt as Milwaukee Bucks beat Washington Wizards
- Bucks superstar gets tossed in second quarter but Eastern Conference top seeds still walk away with win
- Antetokounmpo appears to drive his head into Moritz Wagner of the Washington Wizards
Giannis Antetokounmpo was ejected in the second quarter for headbutting Moritz Wagner on Tuesday night, but the Milwaukee Bucks still posted a 126-113 victory over the Washington Wizards in the NBA bubble near Orlando.
The incident occurred near the Milwaukee hoop after Antetokounmpo was whistled for a charging foul for running into the Washington centre.
The two jawed briefly before Antetokounmpo lowered his head and somewhat gently drove his forehead into Wagner’s left temple.
Neither player was injured, but Antetokounmpo was ejected immediately. The run-in occurred with 8:50 remaining in the first half and Milwaukee leading 35-25.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer challenged the charging call on Antetokounmpo, but a replay confirmed the infraction. Antetokounmpo finished with 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds in just 10 minutes.
The Bucks (56-16) scored the game’s first six points, holding the Wizards scoreless for almost the first four minutes en route to just their third win in seven games in central Florida.
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Rui Hachimura had 20 points to pace Washington (24-47), who lost their seventh straight game since the restart. Milwaukee never trailed in the game, leading by as many as eight in the first quarter and 16 in the second before coasting through the second half.
Brook Lopez led all scorers with 24 points for Milwaukee, who have already clinched the top seeding in the Eastern Conference.
Sterling Brown added 23 points, Frank Mason 19, D.J. Wilson 11 and Pat Connaughton 10 for the Bucks, who outshot the Wizards 50.6 per cent to 41.1 per cent. Ish Smith backed Hachimura with 19 points off the bench for Washington, who were outscored 54-36 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Jerome Robinson chipped in with 15 points, Thomas Bryant 13, and Isaac Bonga and Anzejs Pasecniks 10 apiece for the Wizards, who have been eliminated from play-off contention. Robinson also found time for a game-high seven assists.
