USA Today via Reuters
The Bucks and Jazz got into a heated exchange near the end of the first half. While attempting a layup, Colin Sexton accidentally hit Giannis Antetokounmpo in the face. As a result, the Greek Freak collapsed to the floor, clutching his hand over his face in anguish. This wasn’t the end for the jazz musician. As he made his way back to defence, he let go a few taunting comments to the superstar.
As a reaction to the incident, Giannis’s colleague Malik Beasley took a personal and hurtful shot at Sexton. An immediate and intense altercation ensued when the Bucks’ guard shoved Sexton to the ground. Both teams’ players swarmed the area, trying to break them up.
For a brief moment, officials and teammates engaged in a skirmish before sending the players to their separate benches. Meanwhile, the referees got back to work, reviewing the dirty deed again and again before making a decision.
As Sexton made his way back, the video showed that he had accidentally elbowed Giannis in the face and then mocked him. Beasley and Sexton then proceeded to drag and push each other. Sexton was supposed to get a double technical for dragging his teammate Giannis and taunting him, while Beasley would get a tech for inciting the incident.
But the officials decided the taunting wasn’t happening, so they threw the ball to the Milwaukee Bucks and called a technical foul on both players. Nonetheless, the decision did not sit well with the Utah Jazz guard.
Sexton returned to the court immediately following the referee’s call, applauding firmly and intimidatingly at Beasley. Beasley, in contrast, maintained his composure and continued playing.
Just like the Bulls had Dennis Rodman and the Warriors had Draymond Green, each NBA team has its own bad boy. We must not overlook the 1980s Detroit Pistons, a team rife with bad guys.
Similarly, the Jazz’ Colin Sexton ends up becoming a bad guy on the rise. In the team’s most recent game at Madison Square Garden, a victory over the New York Knicks, Sexton fully immersed himself in his persona.
Jalen Brunson and the 25-year-old guard started trash talking in the first quarter. But Brunson treated it as if it had never occurred, so it didn’t yield any benefits for him. In the end, he scored 29 points to help his team win 118-103.