MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥� Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo offered a handshake to Jaylen Brown after committing an offensive foul against the Boston Celtics wing 鈥� only to at the last moment.
The incident in the first half of the Celtics鈥� over the Bucks on Sunday caused Brown to refer to Antetokounmpo as a 鈥渃hild.鈥� Antetokounmpo responded that he was only joking around.
This sequence began after Antetokounmpo鈥檚 elbow appeared to inadvertently hit Brown鈥檚 face in the second quarter, resulting in an offensive foul against the two-time MVP.
As they headed back up the floor, Antetokounmpo held out his hand toward Brown, only to pull it back over the top of his face while smiling at him. Antetokounmpo then reached out his hand again, but the Celtics鈥� three-time All-Star looked down without reciprocating.
The scene got plenty of attention on social media.
鈥淕iannis is a child,鈥� said Brown, who scored 14 points in his return after missing four games with a hip injury. 鈥淚鈥檓 just focused on helping my team get a win, and that鈥檚 what we did tonight.鈥�
Antetokounmpo said he didn鈥檛 mean to offend anyone.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a joke,鈥� said Antetokounmpo, who had 43 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. 鈥淲e鈥檙e playing basketball. At the same time, we鈥檝e got to have fun when we play. I think he鈥檚 an incredible player. He does whatever he can to help his team win, an extremely competitive player. We鈥檝e played against one another many times. I think we鈥檙e always trying to joke around within the flow of the game. It鈥檚 something I do with my kids when we play around. Sometimes, I鈥檓 like, 鈥楪ive me a high-five. Oh, you鈥檙e too slow.鈥� I just did it. I enjoyed it, though. It was fun.鈥�
When Antetokounmpo was told about Brown鈥檚 postgame comment, the 6-foot-11 forward went into more detail with his response.
鈥淭his is who I am,鈥� Antetokounmpo said. 鈥淚 play the game with fun, joy. I try to surround myself around young people so I can stay young myself, try to be around my kids a lot, my nieces, and sometimes I might go out there at times on the court when I play and do stuff like that, but at the end of the day, as I said, I think he鈥檚 an incredible player. He always does the right thing to help his team win. But I鈥檓 just going to continue to be me.
鈥淎t the end of the day, if I鈥檓 called a child, so be it. I have three children of my own and I think six nieces. I take care of a lot of kids around here. Sometimes when you鈥檙e around a kid, you try to act like a kid. It鈥檚 fun. It鈥檚 fun to be around them. So I just try to go out there and have fun. Again, great player, great competitor. If I have another opportunity, I鈥檒l do it again.鈥�
Antetokounmpo and Brown had another episode in the fourth quarter. After Antetokounmpo drove to the basket with the game tied at 95-all, Brown received a flagrant foul for making significant impact to an airborne player in an unnecessary manner.
Antetokounmpo made the two ensuing free throws to put Milwaukee ahead with 6:52 remaining, but the Bucks didn鈥檛 score on their ensuing possession and Boston took the lead for good a minute later.
Brown was asked if that second-quarter incident was on his mind when that flagrant foul occurred.
鈥淣aw,鈥� Brown replied. 鈥淚 was playing basketball.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
