Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo handed one-game suspension for headbutting Washington Wizards' Moe Wagner
Giannis Antetokounmpo paid the price for headbutting Washington Wizards' Moe Wagner on Tuesday, August 11. The Bucks may have won the game 124-113, however, the incident's result between will see Antetokounmpo in the sidelines when the Bucks take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, August 13. It all happened when Wagner took charge against the forward and Antetokounmpo was shown to be visibly angry as he followed Wagner before headbutting him a few seconds later.
While he regretted the action terming it "terrible", the decision was already made as he was handed a one-game penalty. He also added: “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. we make mistakes. But at the end of the day, learn from it, keep playing good basketball and keep moving forward." This was his fourth ejection the site added.
According to CBS Sports, Antetokounmpo also explained it was the accumulating contact that left him angry and this action subsequently saw him ejected from the game. "I think it was just the whole, like, the build-up of dirty plays in my mind. Guys tripping me, guys falling in front of my feet, holding me, hitting me. It wasn't just -- I don't have nothing against Wagner, it wasn't just him," he remarked. Bobby Marks of ESPN said this miss would also cost the player $178,225.
While he may not take the court against the Grizzlies, Antetokounmpo will play against Orlando Magic in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs that will be played at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. He has had a good outing in the regular season with 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists.
CBS Sports' Sam Quinn reckoned that while the Bucks can breathe easy considering they have clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, they will still be looking to find the balance and rhythm due to a "combination of rest- and coronavirus-induced absences."
Bucks play Grizzlies on Thursday, August 13.
