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Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo caused quite a bit of postgame consternation Saturday night immediately following a 112-103 win over the Chicago Bulls.
Antetokounmpo scored 29 points in the game, but that final two-point play in the final seconds is what set his opponents off. The two-time MVP dribbled the ball down the court and executed a windmill dunk before time expired.
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Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts after scoring against the Chicago Bulls in the second half at the United Center on Dec. 27, 2025. (David Banks/Imagn Images)
Bulls players were not happy with the Bucks star and got in his face after the game. The pushing and shoving continued as the Bucks and Bulls players left their benches to break up the showdown. Tensions nearly exploded as the two teams went back to the locker room.
“I’m no painter but you get the picture,” Antetokounmpo wrote on X accompanied by a picture of his slam.
He told reporters that the dunk was meant to be a message to his players.
“We’re 11th in the East,” Antetokounmpo said, via ESPN . “You have to keep finding an identity. And if it’s going to be a little bit scrappy at the end, so be it. We’re not champions. Why do we have to play the clock and have respect and fair play? We’re fighting for our lives right now.”
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The Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls get into a scrum as the game ends at the United Center on December 27, 2025. (David Banks/Imagn Images)
It was Antetokounmpo’s first game since suffering a calf strain. He missed eight games. He said the focus was on being healthy from here on out.
Bulls guard Coby White was among those upset with Antetokounmpo.
“He shouldn’t have dunked the ball,” White said. “It’s disrespectful to the game. I said, ‘Bro, you’re better than that.’ The game is over. Why should you do it? It’s a respect thing.”
It’s at this point in the season when wins matter the most. Teams like the Bucks and Bulls, treading water in the Eastern Conference, can’t afford to wait to turn on the jets after the All-Star break.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, right, celebrates with guard Kevin Porter Jr. left during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
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The Bulls are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 15-16 record. Milwaukee is 11th with a 13-19 record. Teams like the Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets could surprise and jump these teams in a few weeks. They cannot take anything for granted.
