NBA suspends Thanasis Antetokounmpo for headbutting Blake Griffin: All you need to know
Thanasis Antetokounmpo found himself in hot water with the NBA this week.
Antetokounmpo was inserted into the Milwaukee Bucks game against the Boston Celtics when the Bucks failed to close the gap on the Celtics' lead.
As he often does, the older Antetokounmpo brother got under the opposing team's skin. Tensions reached a breaking point when Thanasis got in Blake Griffin's face. Then, he headbutted him out of nowhere. Although he didn't draw blood, the blow left a mark. Griffin joked that he needed Jaylen Brown's facemask to protect himself.
The situation saw Antetokounmpo ejected from the game, as an amused Griffin smirked. Ultimately, the Celtics won the game 140-99. This win marked a massive momentum-builder for the team as they look to make a big postseason run.
On the heels of Thursday's incident, the league has suspended Thanasis Antetokounmpo without pay for the blow. The NBA Communications press release reads:
"Milwaukee Bucks forward Thansis Antetokounmpo has been suspended one game without pay for headbutting Boston Celtics forward Blake Griffin during a stoppage in play, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations.
"The incident, for which Antetokounmpo was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected, occurred with 1:25 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Bucks' 140-99 loss to the Celtics on March 30 at Fiserv Forum.
"Antetokounmpo will serve his suspension April 2 when the Bucks host the Philadelphia 76ers at Fiserv Forum."
Above, you can see footage of the incident.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks' championship hopes
With just five regular-season games left on the Milwaukee Bucks' calendar, the team's postseason run is right around the corner. After hosting the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, the team will hit the road to take on the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
The following night, they'll play the Chicago Bulls on the second leg of a back-to-back matchup, before then hosting the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, April 7. Two days later, the team will play their final game of the regular season on Sunday, April 9.
Although the team currently sits in first place in a stacked Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics have put together a strong run in hopes of surpassing them. As of April 1, the Bucks are just 1.5 games ahead of the Celtics in the standings.
With a strong showing throughout the regular season, the team will now begin to set its sights on winning another NBA championship. Of course, given the recent dominance of both the Celtics and the 76ers, the Bucks will have to be at their best if they want to win the East.
According to statistics, Giannis Antetokounmpo has struggled this season against both teams. Over six games played against the two teams throughout the season, The Greek Freak has averaged just 16% from beyond the arc, and 44% from the field.
In those games, Giannis and the Bucks have gone just 2-4, leading many to wonder whether or not the team will be able to get him going for playoff matchups.
Below you can see some highlights from the recent game, including the infamous headbutt.