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Near the end of fourth quarter in Game 2--a game that had begun tilting in Chicago's favor--Zaza Pachulia, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Mirotic got in a mix up over a loose ball. Giannis quickly was bounced out of the play while Pachulia and Mirotic continue to battle. Then this happened.
EUROFIGHT!
It's hard to tell exactly what happened, but it looks like Zaza threw some flailing, two-armed, reclining...something. Mirotic reacted with a clear shove in the back before teammates stepped in. Both players were assessed with a technical. Being that it was Pachulia's second of the game, he was ejected.
After the game, former Executive VP of Basketball Operations for the NBA Stu Jackson sent out the following tweet, which is...interesting.
I love @zaza27, his grit, hustle and competitiveness but he will not be with the @Bucks in game 3 Suspension pending for shot to @threekola
— Stu Jackson (@StuJackson32) April 21, 2015
No official decision has been made of yet, but losing Pachulia for Game 3 would be critical for a Bucks team who needs every interior body they can. Without Pachulia, the Bucks would have John Henson and Miles Plumlee as their available centers to go with the other front court mates. Considering that the Bulls already were dominating the glass in this series, the possible suspension of Pachulia could potentially make the disparity borderline comical.
Taking a step back though, nothing has been made official. So, as per usual, we'll just have to wait and see.