Giannis breaks out with a season-high 59 as the Bucks outlast the Pistons

MILWAUKEE – Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 59 points to help the Milwaukee Bucks win 127-120 in overtime over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

It was the highest point total in the league for an NBA player this season and the second-highest point total in a game for Antetokounmpo, who scored 64 points against the Indiana Pacers last season.

Three players scored at least 45 points across the NBA on Wednesday night – Victor Wembanyama scored a career-high 50 and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 46 – marking the most points in a single day in league history.

Antetokounmpo made 21 of 34 field shots, 16 of 17 free throws and added 14 rebounds and seven assists as the Bucks rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit. It was his eighth career game with 20 made field goals, tied with Kobe Bryant and Bob McAdoo for the seventh most in NBA history.

He outscored the Pistons 11-9 in overtime and is the first Bucks player to go 5-for-5 or better in a single OT period since play-by-play was first recorded in 1996-97.

Brook Lopez scored 29 points for the Bucks.

Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 35 points and Malik Beasley had 26 against his former team.

Detroit’s Ron Holland II was fouled by Antetokounmpo with one second left in regulation and the score was tied at 111, but Holland missed both free throws.

The Pistons were without starters Jaden Ivey and Tim Hardaway Jr. Ivey was sidelined with a toe injury, and Hardaway was sidelined after suffering stitches to his head in Tuesday’s game against Miami.

Milwaukee played without Damian Lillard (concussion protocol), Ryan Rollins (left shoulder instability) and Bobby Portis (right elbow contusion).

Takeaways

Pistons: Beasley was hot from 3-point range, hitting 4 of 5 in the first half, while Detroit shot 61.5% from distance (8 of 13). He finished 8 of 16.

Bucks: Antetokounmpo made every basket for Milwaukee in the first quarter, making 7 of 10 field goal attempts and all eight of his free throws for 22 of the team’s 24 points.

Key moment

Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart pulled Antetokounmpo to the ground by his jersey and was assessed a flagrant foul 2 and ejected with 3:02 left in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo made both free throws.

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.