NBA Announces Decision on Giannis Antetokounmpo Play

Speaking with reporters after the game, Antetokounmpo was clear on the reasoning behind his decision to dunk rather than dribble the clock out (via Eric Nehm of The Athletic).

“What, we’re 11th in the East?" he asked. "Are we 11th in the East or 12th? 11th? Just gotta keep finding our identity. And if that is to get a little bit of scrappy at the end, so be it. Like, we’re not the champs. Why should we play the clock out and have respect and fair play? Like we’re fighting for our lives right now."

NBA's Last Two Minute Report Rules on Play Before Giannis Antetokounmpo Dunk

Before Antetokounmpo went the length of the floor for his controversial dunk, there was some contact between he and Coby White that could have stopped it all from happening had the officiating crew called a foul. However, the contact was not whistled, which the NBA has since determined to be the right call in their Last Two Minute Report.

"After the rebound, White (CHI) grazes Antetokounmpo's (MIL) arm at the start of the drive. This contact does not rise to the level of a foul," the league wrote.

This is the only thing related to that play the league has addressed, as there has been no announcement on the scuffle that followed.

This was not the only controversial play involving Antetokounmpo in the final minute of Saturday's game. With 33 seconds remaining, the 2021 league MVP attempted to inbound the ball but was called for a five-second violation. He initially seemed to disagree with the ruling, but the NBA confirmed on the Last Two Minute Report that it was correctly called. This gave Chicago possession with the score 107-103 in favor of Milwaukee.

In addition to his postgame comments, Antetokounmpo shared a photo on X of his controversial windmill dunk that has tallied over four million views since it was uploaded. The win improved Milwaukee to 13-19 and 11th in the Eastern Conference standings.