Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo makes NBA history in loss to Pacers

Giannis Antetokounmpo did all he could to keep the Milwaukee Bucks afloat on Thursday night, dropping an NBA season-high 54 points against the Indiana Pacers. Ultimately, his efforts — albeit historic — fell short, as the Pacers rallied to a 126-124 victory. 

Antetokounmpo finished the night shooting 19-of-25 from the field while snatching 12 rebounds. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Antetokounmpo is the first player in NBA history to lose a game with 50 points, 75% field goal percentage and 10 rebounds. 

As for a more positive accolade, the two-time league MVP moved into 105th on the all-time scoring list with 16,505 career points, jumping Hall of Famer Nate Archibald (16,481). Clippers forward Paul George (16,549) and Bucks teammate Damian Lillard (19,546) are the closest active players to Antetokounmpo on the list. 

Milwaukee has now gone 3-2 over their last five games as they continue to get accustomed to their new-look roster. Lillard was sidelined against Indiana due to calf soreness, but 30-plus points in two of his last three games prove he's still a walking bucket. 

While the Bucks currently sit in fifth place, the season is young. Milwaukee remains among a shortlist of favorites to emerge from the East, likely vying with the Pacers, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 1 seed come season end — especially if Antetokounmpo continues his scoring fury. 

Over Antetokounmpo's last two full games (he was ejected in Wednesday's 120-118 win over the Detroit Pistons), the seven-time All-Star has totaled 90 points. In Antetokounmpo's first five games of the season, he totaled just 120 points. 

"I was on balance. I feel strong. I feel like I could attack angles like I have been in the past,"  Antetokounmpo said after the loss. "I've been feeling like this the last three games. That means I'm kind of getting my rhythm back, so I'm kind of happy about that."

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