Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a franchise-record 64 points to help the Milwaukee Bucks outscore the Indiana Pacers 140-126 on Wednesday night.
Antetokounmpo broke the team record of 57 set by Michael Redd in 2006 in a 113-111 loss to the Utah Jazz. Antetokounmpo’s previous career high was 55 in a 123-113 victory over Washington in January 2023. He had 54 at Indiana on Nov. 9.
Antetokounmpo was 20 of 28 from the field, made 24 of 32 free throws and had 14 rebounds.
“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.”
Giannis is only the 5th player in NBA history to score 60+ PTS on 70%+ FG.
He joins:
– Wilt Chamberlain (4x)
– Karl Malone
– David Thompson
– Damian Lillard pic.twitter.com/zegLVxgD36— NBA History (@NBAHistory) December 14, 2023
“He’s an unstoppable player. You can’t guard him one-on-one. You’ve got some really good guys surrounding him, but at the end of the day, it’s all him,” Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said.
“His talent. His ability. His will. He has an incredible will to win, and he’ll do whatever it takes to win. I’m just coaching the game and one of the coaches told me, ‘Yeah, Giannis has 50. I had no idea.’ But wow, what a great performance.”
WHAT A NIGHT FOR GIANNIS.
64 PTS IS A NEW CAREER-HIGH AND FRANCHISE RECORD 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/Z7kO8tausf
— NBA (@NBA) December 14, 2023
Giannis Antetokounmpo who has agreed on a three-year, $186 million contract extension with Bucks in October, is unstoppable.
The two-time NBA MVP added two fully guaranteed years to his current deal, as well as a player option for the 2027-28 season.
The extension starts with the 2025-26 season, meaning Antetokounmpo is under contract for at least four more years — and a fifth if he’s so inclined. He will earn about $94.4 million over the next two seasons, then about $120 million more for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons.
Celebrating his 29th birthday earlier in December, the Greek Freak offered advice to his followers on X. “Life goes fast man. Enjoy life!” he said. “Spend time with your loved ones, smile more, be happy, be humble, be hungry, be you. Enjoy life!”
Antetokounmpo one of the most decorated players in NBA history
The 2023-24 season has been particularly stellar for Antetokounmpo. He’s dominating the court with an average of 30.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. Moreover, his shooting accuracy is remarkable, with a career-high field goal percentage of 61.1 percent.
These statistics are not mere numbers but reflections of his growth as a player and his increasing impact on the game.
As one of the most decorated players in NBA history, Athens-born Antetokounmpo won consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Awards in 2019 and 2020, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to win two MVPs before turning twenty-six.
Along with his MVP award, he was also named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, becoming only the third player after Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1994) to win both awards in the same season.
In 2021, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971 and was named Finals MVP. The same year, he was honored as one of the league’s greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.