On a night where Victor Wembanyama scored 50 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo outplayed the young Spurs star.
He surpassed him by nine, to be precise.
The Milwaukee Bucks star scored 59 points to lead Milwaukee to a 127-120 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. He took over with 11 points in the five-minute overtime session to secure the victory in front of the Bucks’ home crowd.
He had a chance to reach 60, but opted to dribble out the clock in the final seconds with his Bucks holding a seven-point lead. As usual, Antetokounmpo did most of his damage near the basket and had a near-perfect night at the free throw line with a 16-of-17 effort. He also hit his only 3-pointer on a high-time jumper from the wing. extra to extend Milwaukee’s lead to 119-111.
The 59 points is the most by a player in the NBA this season. Wembanyama briefly tied for the season lead with Paolo Banchero, who scored 50 points for the Magic in an October 28 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Antetokounmpo added 14 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and two steals on a monster night to rally the Bucks from an 18-point deficit. The scoring outburst falls short of Antetokounmpo’s career-high 64 points, which he scored last December in a win over the Pacers.
The win was much needed for a Bucks team that has struggled to start this season. Led by perennial All-Stars Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, the Bucks entered the season hoping to challenge the defending champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they went 2-8 before Wednesday’s win in one of the NBA’s most disappointing starts.
Antetokounmpo scored his 59-point effort without Lillard on the court. Lillard missed a second straight game Wednesday due to a concussion he suffered Sunday.
The Pistons appeared on their way to victory as they held a 70-52 lead early in the third quarter. But the Bucks took an 85-84 lead late in the third quarter and then took a break in the final second of regulation.
Ron Holland had a chance to ice the Pistons’ victory with two free throws and the game tied 111-111 with one second left. But he missed both shots to send the game to overtime and open the door for Antetokounmpo’s heroics.