Giannis drops 64; postgame scuffle with Pacers mars Bucks' win
MILWAUKEE -- Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a franchise-record 64 points to help the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Indiana Pacers 140-126 on Wednesday night, with Antetokounmpo then at the center of a postgame confrontation over the game ball.
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.
"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."
Antetokounmpo was 20-of-28 from the field and 24-of-32 from the free throw line and also had 14 rebounds.
He became the first player in NBA history to make at least 20 field goals and 20 free throws in a game while shooting at least 70% on each. It's also the most points with fewer than 30 field goal attempts in a game in NBA history.
"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."
Tempers flared after the game when the two teams had a confrontation in the hallway near the Indiana locker room over who had the game ball, and who was entitled to it.
Head coach Rick Carlisle said Pacers grabbed the ball after the game because they wanted to commemorate Oscar Tshiebwe's first career point in the NBA, not realizing the Bucks wanted the ball to mark Antetokounmpo's record night.
Carlisle said several Bucks players, including Antetokounmpo, came into the Pacers' tunnel looking for the ball. Carlisle said a scuffle ensued, and that Pacers GM Chad Buchanan was elbowed in the ribs by one of the Bucks players.
"Unfortunate situation," Carlisle said. "We don't need the official game ball. There's two game balls there, we could've taken the other one. But it didn't need to escalate to that. Really just unfortunate. Third game we played these guys within 2½, three weeks, so things are heated with the competition, and I understand all that, but for it to come into the hallway, it didn't need to happen that way."
Antetokounmpo said he ran into the tunnel to get the game ball because he felt it should go to teammate Damian Lillard, who made his 2,451st career 3-pointer on Wednesday night to pass Kyle Korver for fifth place in NBA history.
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"I understand, when you score your first point in the NBA you want to have the ball or whatever the case may be," Antetokounmpo said of the Pacers honoring Tshiebwe's feat. "But at the end of the day you're talking about the guy that just skipped Kyle Korver in the all-time list. In my opinion, we should all stop what we're doing and appreciate greatness."
There also was a brief heated exchange during Wednesday night's game involving several players.
Antetokounmpo was tackled by Aaron Nesmith on a play underneath with 10:10 remaining, setting off the exchange. Nesmith was called for a flagrant-1, and Nesmith and the Bucks' Bobby Portis were assessed technical fouls.
Antetokounmpo hit both free throws, and Khris Middleton hit a jumper on the next possession to put the Bucks up 108-96. Portis was called for a second technical and ejected with 9:13 remaining, finishing with 19 points.
Antetokounmpo scored seven straight for the Bucks to push the lead to 118-100 with 6:26 left.
Lillard added 21 points for the Bucks. He passed Korver on the all-time list when he made his second 3-pointer with 8:06 left in the third quarter.
Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner had 22 points apiece for the Pacers, who beat the Bucks 128-119 in the semifinals of the In-Season Tournament on Thursday night.
Antetokounmpo scored on a drive to put the Bucks up 96-80 with 3:40 left in the third period, but the Pacers to 101-94 entering the final period.
Antetokounmpo had 21 points in the first half to pace the Bucks to 70-63 lead.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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