The end of the Milwaukee Bucks game against the Sacramento Kings was eventful. As Giannis Antetokounmpo was dribbling the ball out, he stepped in front of Trey Lyles, who then proceeded to grab and push him in the back.
Brook Lopez was having none of this. He immediately got in Lyles’ face and pushed him up the floor. It led to both Lopez and Lyles getting ejected. After the game, Lopez had some words for the Kings.
On the defensive end of the floor, Lopez is the enforcer, and he made sure to let teams know that cheap shots on his star teammates are not going to be tolerated. After the game, Lopez talked to The Athletic, saying:
“Obviously, things are going to get chippy some nights,” Lopez said. “He’s so good. He’s going to make guys frustrated. He doesn’t go out of his way to do anything else, showboat or anything like that. He’s just that talented. He’s going to frustrate people.
“So, if anyone is going to respond with BS or cheap stuff like that, I’m not going to go out of my way to get violent or do anything wrong, but I’m just going to be there to protect my guy and let whoever it is know that I have his back and that’s not going to fly.”
Lopez is not going to let cheap shots happen on Giannis on his watch. This team has jelled very well, and Lopez wants to make sure that Giannis doesn’t get a freak injury because someone is annoyed.
The win against the Kings was a huge statement win for the Bucks. The Kings are the current No. 2 seed in the West and boast the top offense in the league. For the Bucks to go into Sacramento, shut down the offense in crunch time and get the win shows how much of a championship-caliber team this is. It will be difficult for any team to beat the Bucks four out of seven times.
Ultimately, this late-game scuffle means nothing. Tempers flared in a big-time matchup, and there was some pushing and shoving. Both teams will go their separate ways and most likely be just fine.
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