Two- time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo made history once again for the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, as he scored a franchise-record and career-high 64 points to lead his team to victory over the Pacers.
In a rematch of the NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals, both the Bucks and Pacers came out with a fast-paced game. The Bucks took a narrow 36-33 lead after the first quarter, with Bobby Portis and Antetokounmpo providing the early offensive spark. The second quarter saw another significant milestone as Damian Lillard hit a three-pointer, tying Kyle Korver for the most threes made in NBA history.
Lillard would later surpass Korver’s record in the third quarter. The Bucks held a 70-63 lead at halftime. The high-scoring affair continued into the third quarter, with Antetokounmpo dominating in the paint. However, the Pacers kept up the pressure, trailing 101-94 heading into the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter began with some intensity as Antetokounmpo was fouled hard by Aaron Nesmith, resulting in a brief scuffle.
Both Nesmith and Bobby Portis received technical fouls, and Portis was eventually ejected for his second technical. The remainder of the game belonged to Giannis. He scored an incredible 26 points in the fourth quarter alone, setting a new franchise record with 64 points in a single game. This also marked a new career high for Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks held on to win 140-126. Antetokounmpo’s historic performance included shooting 20-28 from the field (71%) and making 24 of 32 free throws. He also contributed 14 rebounds and four steals.
“It’s a great feeling. It’s a great feeling, being able to do it,” Antetokounmpo said. “As much as I can, I try to play basketball for the right reason. I try to play basketball to win, try to play basketball to help my teammates be great, but at the end of the day, being able to break this record in front of the fans here in this stadium, it’s a great feeling, too.”
Check out every single point of his record-breaking performance:
