“Giannis been slapping and punching people in the face all series!” - Former NBA champion reacts to Al Horford’s ‘dead-ball’ technical foul on Giannis Antetokounmpo
Kendrick Perkins sounded off on referees issuing Al Horford a 'dead-ball' technical foul on Giannis Antetokounmpo following the former's and-1 dunk on the latter.
Giannis took a hit to the face after Horford completed his dunk, which the referees reviewed to check for a potential 'Flagrant' foul that could've occurred during the play. However, replays showed that Horford's foul took place when the ball wasn't in play, leading to the officials issuing a 'dead-ball' technical foul on the Celtics big man.
AL HORFORD ON GIANNIS 😳 https://t.co/npIiEGTTMZ
AL HORFORD ON GIANNIS 😳 https://t.co/npIiEGTTMZ
Former Boston Celtics center Kendrick Perkins was left unimpressed by this call by the officiating crew and took to Twitter to express his frustration. Here's what Perkins wrote:
"Hell no. Giannis been slapping and punching people in the face all series!!! Play on and Carry on…"
Perkins took a subtle dig at Giannis Antetokounmpo's physical style of play that has been questioned by many of late. Many feel the Bucks star is not charged with offensive fouls when he bumps into his defenders while attacking the rim.
Al Horford dominates Bucks defense as Celtics steal Game 4 win over Giannis Antetokounmpo and Co.
The Boston Celtics avenged their homecourt loss in Game 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks by bagging a comeback win in Game 4 on the road. The C's were down by 11 points with three minutes left in the third quarter of the match. They refused to back down, though, as Al Horford, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart came up with clutch performances down the stretch.
Horford turned back the clock with a 30-point outing, shooting 11 of 14 from the floor, including five of seven from 3-point range. He scored 16 points in the fourth quarter alone, going six of six from the field. He also converted both of his 3-point attempts and free throws during that stretch.
Al Horford scored 16 PTS (6/6 FG) in the 4th quarter of the win tonight 🔥
GM4: 30 PTS, 8 REB, 5 3PT
GM3: 22 PTS, 16 REB, 5 AST, 4 3PT
GM2: 11 PTS, 11 REB, 4 STL
GM1: 12 PTS, 10 REB, 4 3PT
https://t.co/dzRGPCTtu9
Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo was once again the Milwaukee Bucks' best player as he tallied 34 points, 18 rebounds and four assists. However, the "Greek Freak" wasn't as efficient as he would've liked. He converted only 43.8% of his 32 shot attempts from the floor.
The Bucks desperately missed Khris Middleton's services down the stretch. They don't have many players who can score as efficiently and consistently away from the rim, which is a must against a stingy defensive team like the Boston Celtics.
The next game will be played in Boston, giving Al Horford and Co. the momentum to win this contest. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo's Bucks are the defending champions for a reason, so it won't be surprising to see them bounce back strongly and take a 3-2 series lead heading into Game 6 at home.