Giannis Antetokounmpo was nothing short of magnificent on Wednesday night, pouring in a season-high 59 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a thrilling 127-120 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Antetokounmpo’s virtuoso performance was the highlight of an action-packed evening across the NBA, with Victor Wembanyama and Karl-Anthony Towns also scoring 50+ points in their respective games. But it was the Greek Freak who stole the show in Milwaukee, willing his undermanned Bucks squad to a much-needed win.
Without the services of injured All-Stars Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton, Antetokounmpo knew he would need to shoulder an even heavier load. And that’s exactly what he did, pouring in 28 points in the first half to keep the Bucks within striking distance.
“Coming into this game, I realized I had to be aggressive,” Antetokounmpo said after the game. “While I was doing that, it was not working. We were down by 15 and 18.” But the two-time MVP refused to let his team go down without a fight. He turned up the intensity in the second half, scoring 31 more points—including 11 in the overtime period—to will the Bucks to victory.
Antetokounmpo shot an efficient 21-of-34 from the field and a near-perfect 16-of-17 from the free-throw line. He also added 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals in a true tour de force performance.
“He has no quit in him,” Bucks veteran center Brook Lopez said of Antetokounmpo. “Just to be able to watch it the last seven years, to see the way he was tonight. I’m still seeing new stuff.”
The Bucks found themselves in an early hole, trailing by as many as 18 points in the third quarter. But they stormed back with a 38-24 advantage in that frame, setting the stage for Antetokounmpo’s heroics down the stretch. Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart was ejected in the third quarter for a Flagrant 2 foul on Antetokounmpo, a pivotal moment that seemed to ignite the Bucks’ comeback bid.
“I’ve been in that position many times in my life,” Antetokounmpo said of the physical play. “I have two older brothers who pushed me on the floor and were tough on me.” It doesn’t really faze me anymore. All I could think about was, ‘Get up and make two free throws.'”
Antetokounmpo did just that, calmly sinking both free throws to trim the Pistons’ lead. From there, it was the Giannis show, as he took over in crunch time and in the extra period to secure the victory.
The 59 points are the most scored by any player in the NBA this season, eclipsing the 50-point efforts from Wembanyama and Towns on the same night. It’s the second-highest scoring game of Antetokounmpo’s career, just five shy of his personal best of 64 points. “After the game, you realize how special this is,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “But during the game you’re in a panic.”
Rivers’ panic was understandable, as the Bucks were severely shorthanded with Lillard, Middleton, and Bobby Portis all sidelined. But Antetokounmpo made sure their absences wouldn’t be felt, willing his team to a much-needed win in impressive fashion.
The victory snaps a two-game skid for the Bucks, who have struggled to a 4-8 start to the season. With Antetokounmpo leading the way, they’ll look to build on this momentum and climb back into the Eastern Conference playoff race.
As for the 24-year-old superstar, he continues to cement his status as one of the NBA’s all-time greats. His latest virtuoso performance is just the latest chapter in what is shaping up to be an illustrious career.