Antetokounmpo suspended for Bucks’ finale over headbutt

Washington Wizards’ Moritz Wagner (21) grabs his face after getting head butted by Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, rear, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Antetokounmpo was ejected from the game. | AP Photo

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida — Giannis Antetokounmpo has been suspended for Milwaukee’s final game of the regular season, handed a one-game penalty Wednesday, (Thursday, August 13, 2020, Philippine time) for headbutting Washington’s Moe Wagner.

It’s unknown if Antetokounmpo would have played in Thursday’s game against Memphis anyway, given that the Bucks have already secured the No. 1 overall seed in the NBA playoffs that start next week.

He will be eligible for Game 1 of the Bucks’ first-round series against Orlando, which will almost certainly be played Monday or Tuesday at Walt Disney World.

The incident happened Tuesday night, when Wagner took a charge against Antetokounmpo in the second quarter. Antetokounmpo appeared to be speaking angrily, followed Wagner to the other end and the headbutt took place a few seconds later.

Read: Antetokounmpo ejected for headbutting Wizards player

Antetokounmpo said after the game that the headbutt was a “terrible action” and that if he “could go back, turn back time and go back to that play, I wouldn’t do it.” He said he was frustrated by an accumulation of contact, on a night where he had already been awarded 12 free throws in his first 10 minutes of play.

Antetokounmpo was ejected from the game for the Flagrant-2 foul. He finishes the regular season with averages of 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists, numbers that are likely good enough to win him a second consecutive NBA MVP award.