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Antetokounmpo sounds off on Rockets Amen Thompson after flagrant foul leads to ejection

Antetokounmpo sounds off on Rockets Amen Thompson after flagrant foul leads to ejection
Water under the bridge. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo has “no hard feelings” toward Amen Thompson after the Houston forward was ejected for pulling him down from behind by his head and neck Tuesday night.

The Bucks were down by two with about 4½ minutes left when Thompson committed the foul as Antetokounmpo went up for a shot in the lane. The play was reviewed and determined to by a flagrant foul 2 and Thompson was ejected.

Houston went on to a 100-97 victory that snapped Milwaukee’s four-game winning streak.

“At the end of the day like you don’t wanna have a league that’s soft,” Antetokounmpo said when asked about the play. “I love guys that play hard. I love guys that they’re great competitors.”

“I’m one of those guys,” he continued. “Sometimes your competitive nature gets in the way (of) making the best decision, the best judgment at the time. And I feel like he wanted to make it a hard foul, but he grabbed my neck. But there’s no hard feelings.”

Thompson didn’t speak to reporters after the game.

Antetokounmpo believes that plays like this one or simply part of the game.

“I understand like when you’re a competitor, you’re gonna make mistakes like that,” he said. “I love it. I love playing this way. I don’t have no hard feelings against him.”

Both Houston coach Ime Udoka and Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers agreed that Thompson should have been ejected for the foul.

Crew chief Tony Brothers explained the decision to eject Thompson to a pool reporter after the game.

“Because the contact to the head was both unnecessary and excessive and by rule that’s a flagrant foul penalty two,” he said.

It’s the second ejection this season for Thompson, who was also tossed in a December game against the Heat after throwing Miami guard Tyler Herro to the floor. The incident triggered an altercation between the teams which led to the ejections of six players and staff members.

Thompson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft, was suspended two games for his actions in that skirmish.

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The Astros beat the A's 13-3. Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images.

Cam Smith hit two of Houston's five home runs and finished with four hits as the Astros routed the Athletics 13-3 on Tuesday night to halt their four-game winning streak.

Jason Alexander, claimed off waivers from the Athletics last month, pitched six shutout innings for Houston before tiring in the seventh. Mauricio Dubón, Christian Walker and Cooper Hummel also homered for the Astros.

Smith and Dubón went back-to-back in the fourth.

Smith connected for leadoff shots in the second and fourth. He drove in three runs and scored three times. The 22-year-old rookie has five major league homers — and two multihomer games.

Dubón followed Smith's second home run with his second this season for a 5-0 lead against A's starter JP Sears, who walked the bases loaded in the first before giving up a two-run single to Jake Meyers.

Smith finished off his first four-hit game with an RBI double in the eighth.

Alexander (1-0) threw a season-high 95 pitches in his 12th career start and first since Sept. 18, 2022, with Milwaukee. He allowed three runs — two earned — and three hits.

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