Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a career-high 64 points during a victory over the Indiana Pacers, then chaos ensued.
According to league insider Chris Haynes, the Pacers “took the game ball away” after the performance from the two-time MVP. Antetokounmpo then “took off” toward the Pacers locker room to try to retrieve the ball back from the franchise he had just defeated.
Indiana Pacers took the game ball away after Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 64-point game. A furious Antetokounmpo took off for the Pacers’ locker room to attempt at retrieving the ball. It is unclear if he got the ball back.
After a historic performance by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe was indirectly at the center of a postgame fracas.
In what turned out to be a bizarre ending after an historic performance by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Indiana Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe was indirectly at the center of a postgame fracas.
Antetokounmpo produced a franchise-record 64 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to the 140-126 victory over the Pacers. He surpassed the previous franchise record of 57 points set by Michael Redd in 2006.
The situation began to unfold after the game when Antetokounmpo attempted to locate the ball used in the game. A team official with the Pacers appeared to take the game ball, which prompted Antetokounmpo to run into the tunnel to their locker room to retrieve it.
He returned to the court a few moments later without the ball and was seen having a heated conversation with Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and assistant coach Lloyd Pierce.
He eventually left the court for the Bucks’ locker room.
Giannis goers sprinting down the tunnel and then returns a minute later to go off on Lloyd Pierce and Tyrese Halliburton demanding they get the game ball back as one of the Pacers took it pic.twitter.com/MocZ4VPNBi
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) December 14, 2023
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle revealed there was a miscommunication regarding the game ball and that the team wanted to keep it to celebrate Tshiebwe, who scored his first career NBA point in the contest after hitting a free throw late in the fourth quarter.
What happened after the game was unfortunate. There was a misunderstanding about the game ball. It was Oscar Tshiebwe‘s first official NBA point, so we always get the game ball. We were not thinking about Giannis’ franchise record, so we grabbed the ball, and a couple of minutes later, several of their players ended up in our hallway and there was a big fracas. I don’t think there were any punches landed, but my general manager (Chad Buchanan) got elbowed in the ribs by one of their players. … We don’t need the official game ball; there are two game balls. We could have taken the other, and it didn’t need to escalate to that.
Tshiebwe, who is signed to a two-way contract, made his first appearance with the Pacers on Wednesday. He has played almost exclusively in the G League with the Indiana Mad Ants, averaging 18.9 points, 17.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in seven games.
The game balls are often saved by players or teams for various accomplishments on a given night. In addition to Antetokounmpo setting the Bucks’ record, and Tshiebwe scoring his first point, Damian Lillard passed Kyle Korver for fifth on the all-time 3-point list.
Antetokounmpo said he knew the Pacers took the ball after the game. The Pacers eventually delivered it to the Bucks, but Antetokounmpo questioned if it was the actual game ball.
“I have a ball, but I don’t know if it’s the game ball,” Antetokounmpo said. “It doesn’t feel like the game ball to me. It feels like a brand-new ball. I played what, 35 minutes today? I know how the game ball felt. The ball that I have — which I’ll take and give to my mom, for sure — I don’t know if it’s actually the game ball, but it’s OK. Lives continue.”
Despite the claim from Antetokounmpo, a video clip shows a referee handing the game ball to a member of the Bucks security team moments after the conclusion of the game. In other words: The entire situation was the result of some confusion.
The Pacers had won the two previous games against the Bucks this season, with the last meeting taking place in the semifinals of the in-season tournament. The contest on Wednesday featured eight total technical fouls, one flagrant foul and one ejection (Bobby Portis).
They will meet again on Jan. 1 in Milwaukee and Jan. 3 in Indianapolis.
Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe set another record in the G League and earned high praise from Tyrese Haliburton after the performance.
Indiana Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe set another record in the G League and then earned high praise from All-Star teammate Tyrese Haliburton after the performance.
Tshiebwe recorded 20 points, 28 rebounds, four assists, one steal and one blocked shot on Wednesday to lead the Indiana Mad Ants to a 117-107 win over the Motor City Cruise. He went 8-of-13 from the field in 34 minutes of work in his fourth game.
The undrafted center out of Kentucky set the franchise single-game record for total rebounds and tied the record for defensive rebounds (20). It was also his third game with 20 points and 20 rebounds.
Haliburton shared his reaction to the performance.
Tshiebwe, who is signed to a two-way contract, produced 33 points and 23 rebounds in his debut with the Mad Ants on Nov. 11. He became the first player to record a 30-20 game in the G League since Justin Tillman in February 2022.
The 23-year-old is averaging 22.3 points, 20.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and one steal on 64.3% shooting from the field. He leads the G League in total rebounding, offensive rebounds per game (7.8) and double-doubles (4) in the early going.
Tshiebwe established himself as a dominant player in the paint in college, and he has shown that ability and more so far with the Mad Ants in the G League.
Pacers center Oscar Tshiebwe has played three games in the G League, and has already made history twice with the Mad Ants.
Indiana Pacers center Oscar Tshiebwe has played three games in the G League, and the undrafted rookie out of Kentucky has already made history twice with the Mad Ants.
Tshiebwe came out of the gate on fire, producing 33 points and 23 rebounds in a win over the Sioux Falls Skyforce in his debut with the Mad Ants on Saturday. He registered the first 30-20 game in franchise history.
Two games later, on Tuesday, Tshiebwe recorded 21 points, 20 rebounds and three assists in a win over the Grand Rapids Gold. He became the first player in franchise history to record two 20-20 games, and he did so in his first three games.
another historical night for Oscar Tshiebwe 💥
he is the first player in franchise history to record two 20 point/20 rebound games, and he did so in his first three games. pic.twitter.com/zsPGxnkQSS
Tshiebwe, who is signed to a two-way contract, is the first player to record a 30-20 game in the G League since Justin Tillman in February 2022. He has helped the Mad Ants lead the league in rebounding per game (59.7) through their first three games.
The 23-year-old is averaging 23 points, 18.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals on 65.1% shooting from the field. He leads the G League in total rebounding, offensive rebounds per game (8.0) and double-doubles (3) in the early going.
Tshiebwe established himself as a dominant player in the paint in college, and he has shown that ability and more so far with the Mad Ants in the G League.
As the NBA 2K24 Summer League tournament nears an end, we took a look at a few of the standout undrafted free agents who have already exceeded expectations set by their two-way contracts signed after the 2023 NBA Draft.
While you may be familiar with some names (e.g. Adama Sanogo and Oscar Oscar Tshiebwe) already, others may feel less familiar.
This story used AI-Powered statistics provided by the Stats Perform database.
Stay tuned for our third edition of this series, which will look at players who may have earned a two-way contract (e.g. Jelly Walker, KJ Williams, Nathan Mensah and more) based on their performances in Las Vegas as well.
The names who didn’t get called during the draft are finding their new teams.
The 2023 NBA draft has come and gone, but the draft cycle continues a bit longer as several undrafted free agents find their new homes.
While the following prospects didn’t get to hear their name called by the commissioner or deputy commissioner on Thursday night, they can find solace in the fact that their path to the pros is far from over. It’s not unheard of for an undrafted free agent to carve out a role for themselves in the NBA.
We have seen former undrafted free agent Fred VanVleet make the All-Star name. We also saw several players, such as Lakers rookie Austin Reaves, have valuable roles for their team despite not hearing their names called in the draft.
This season, notable prospects such as Oscar Tshiebwe and Drew Timme will join the fraternity of undrafted basketball players who hope to still make a name for themselves in the NBA.
Several notable international prospects (e.g. Nadir Hifi, Enzo Shahrvin, Tom Digbeu, Nikos Rogkavopoulos, Marek Blazevic, Mario Nakić, Keye Van Der Vuurst and others) were not called and will likely remain overseas.
Meanwhile, some NCAA prospects (Virginia Tech’s Grant Basile, Arizona’s Courtney Ramey, Seton Hall’s KC Ndefo and Purdue NW’s Alou Dillon) will sign deals with teams abroad rather than play in the NBA’s Summer League.
Otherwise, here is where the best remaining prospects have landed so far, according to reports:
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A look at Oscar Tshiebwe, a center from the University of Kentucky.
One question surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers’ chances of winning the NBA championship next season is their frontcourt rotation.
This season, Anthony Davis played almost exclusively at the 5, and when he was healthy, he played extremely well most of the time. But when L.A. was swept in the Western Conference finals by the Denver Nuggets, it became clear it may be better off having someone other than him guard Nikola Jokic.
Since the road to the NBA Finals in the West will likely run through the Nuggets for the foreseeable future, the Lakers could use a true center or two. That would allow Davis to return to the power forward position, where he played a good chunk of his minutes when they won it all in 2020.
Could the Lakers turn to the 2023 NBA draft to snag a big man with potential? They recently worked out an interesting one named Oscar Tshiebwe from the University of Kentucky.
Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands following the early entry withdrawal deadline.
The NBA pre-draft process crossed another important checkpoint on the schedule with the early entry withdrawal deadline coming and going this week.
Prospects had the opportunity to test the waters and meet with teams to gain feedback on their potential draft stock. To maintain their remaining college eligibility, they had to withdraw from consideration by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.
The deadline saw several potential second-round picks withdraw from the draft and return to school. With name, image and likeness playing a prevalent role in college basketball, players were likely swayed to stay one more year to work on their games and capitalize financially.
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The 2024 draft is also projected to be weaker than in past years, which also may have played a role in some players opting against turning pro. They likely believe they will have a greater chance of being a first-round pick next year.
With several players off the board, teams can prioritize workouts and interviews with those individuals remaining in the draft. As a result, players’ stock will continue to fluctuate with less than three weeks to go until the draft.
Rookie Wire took a look at where the draft stands following the early entry withdrawal deadline. Team needs were taken into consideration for these picks.
Tshiebwe announced that he will remain in the NBA draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility.
Kentucky All-American Oscar Tshiebwe announced Wednesday on social media that he will remain in the 2023 NBA draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility.
Tshiebwe declared for the draft on April 7 with the option to return to school. He had one year left of eligibility to utilize due to the extra year players received because of the coronavirus pandemic. He was said to be open to playing a fifth year.
The 6-foot-9 forward used the process to gain feedback from teams on his draft stock to form his decision. He has worked out with at least six teams and was among the prospects that competed in the draft combine in Chicago, Illinois.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs7A_lVv4CC/
Tshiebwe will leave college with a decorated resume.
He was the men’s college player of the year in 2022 and a two-time consensus All-American with the Wildcats. He twice led the country in rebounding (2022, 2023) and ranks sixth on the all-time list at Kentucky after only two years (952 rebounds).
Tshiebwe was a consensus second-team All-American last season after averaging 16.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals and one block. He ranked second in total rebound percentage (23.6) and 15th in win shares (6.6).
The 23-year-old, who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, isn’t projected to be drafted, but he will likely be a two-way contract candidate because teams have the option to sign a third player starting next season as part of the new CBA.
He had until 11:59 p.m. EDT to withdraw from the draft.
The All-American declared for the NBA draft on April 7 with the option to return to school next season.
After opting to test the 2023 NBA draft, Kentucky All-American Oscar Tshiebwe has been getting some assistance from head coach John Calipari throughout the process.
Tshiebwe declared for the draft on April 7 with the option to return to school. He has worked out with several teams and is in the process of gaining feedback from coaches and executives regarding his draft positioning.
Calipari is also in communication with teams, as well.
The three-time Naismith Coach of the Year revealed Thursday on the “Dan Patrick Show” that he is helping Tshiebwe during the pre-draft process and gathering information for him.
He was in my office yesterday. I’m talking to NBA teams. I talked to one owner about Oscar because he is going to do some more workouts. My thing, right now, is to do everything I can to help Oscar get into that league because I believe he’ll stay. … Do I want to coach Oscar another year? Yes! I want to coach him another year but if I’m doing right by him, I gotta give him every opportunity to run this out and see exactly where he is.
Tshiebwe was a consensus second-team All-American last season after averaging 16.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals and one block. He led the country in rebounding for the second straight year and ranked second in total rebound percentage (23.6).
The 6-foot-9 forward is not projected to be drafted but will have the opportunity to work out with more teams before the early entry withdrawal deadline on May 31. He could also be a candidate to participate in the combine or G League Elite Camp this month.
Certainly, Calipari wants to see Tshiebwe and the rest of his players succeed and move onto the next level. However, he wants to ensure that Tshiebwe has all of the available information first before making that decision.
Calipari and Wildcats fans will be curious to see what happens.
