Giannis Antetokounmpo believes Pacers duped him with fake game ball after he stormed into their locker room to retrieve it after career-best 64 points as confusion surrounding ball-gate continues

Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn't believe he was given the true game ball after his 64-point performance on Wednesday night.  

'I have a ball, but I don’t know if it’s the game ball,' Antetokounmpo said. 'It doesn’t feel like the game ball to me.'

'It feels like a brand new ball. I can tell, I played, what, 35 minutes today? I know how the game ball felt,' Antetokounmpo added. 

Antetokounmpo caused a fracas after the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Indiana Pacers 140-126, in large part due to his 64-point performance, the fourth-highest single-game-scoring total among active players. 

To commemorate the occasion, Antetokounmpo wanted the game ball, but learned the Pacers had already grabbed it. That turned out to be wrong information as a member of the Bucks' staff already had the ball.  

That unidentified member of the Milwaukee staff is seen grabbing the ball from a referee as the game ended. 

The Pacers intended to grab the ball for Oscar Tshiebwe, a former All-American at Kentucky, who scored his first official NBA points in the game. 

Antetokounmpo's pursuit of the ball led to tense moments where he stormed onto the court and into the Pacers locker room looking for it. Still, it isn't clear if the two-time NBA MVP ended up with the real ball. 

The confusing situation appears to have spiraled out of control all because of a miscommunication. It's unclear whether Antetokounmpo asked anyone from his own team if they grabbed the ball before confronting the Pacers for it.  

Only Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, and Devin Booker have scored more than 64 points in a single game among active players.