Tempers flaring for the Bucks is exactly what they didn’t need on Sunday.
Already shorthanded, Milwaukee forward Bobby Portis Jr. was ejected after being assessed two technical fouls following a scuffle with Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard.
The two got tangled up under the basket in the Pacers’ defensive end while Nembhard was trying to box out the big man for a rebound. Their arms got locked up and eventually, they pushed off of one another, setting off what would become a bigger scrap.
Portis wound up slapping Nembhard in the head in the exchange. The two technical fouls assessed were for the initial push and the aforementioned slap.
Nembhard was also assessed a technical foul on the play, but with only one to his name, he would be allowed to stay in.
The incident occurred with five minutes left in the first quarter. Portis only played six minutes in the game, scoring four points and grabbing three rebounds on a night they could’ve used his production considering the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard due to injury.
Milwaukee is currently down 2-1 in the first-round series and has an uphill battle with a shorthanded squad if they want to even it up in Game 4.
