Giannis, Wembanyama and Towns deliver a historic scoring night in the NBA

On By Littum

November 13, 2024, 11:53 PM ET

There was no shortage of high-scoring affairs in the NBA on Wednesday.

Three players – Victor Wembanyama, Karl-Anthony Towns and Giannis Antetokounmpo – scored at least 45 points. Antetokounmpo had the highest total (59 points) and Wembanyama set a career high (50) for the San Antonio Spurs.

The three 45-plus-point games tied for a single day in NBA history with seven other instances. March 14, 2022 is the last time that happened when Towns (60), Trae Young (46) and Stephen Curry (47) each dropped more than 45.

Wembanyama led the Spurs to a 139-130 victory over the Washington Wizards. Antetokounmpo put the Milwaukee Bucks over the top 127-120 in overtime against the Detroit Pistons. Towns’ big game wasn’t enough as the New York Knicks fell to the Chicago Bulls 124-123.

Here are the key figures from a memorable evening in the association.

59: The Milwaukee Bucks needed every bit of Antetokounmpo’s 59 points against the Detroit Pistons. The point total is the second most of his career (64) and the most of any player in one game this season.

Antetokounmpo – who outscored the Pistons in overtime alone – now has three career 55-point games in the regular season. All other players in Bucks history have combined for three.

It was also the two-time MVP’s ninth career 50-point, 10-rebound performance, the third-most in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain (118) and Elgin Baylor (16).

Five: Wembanyama’s scoring burst puts him in rare company. He is the fifth player 20 or younger to score 50 points in a game, joining LeBron James (twice), Brandon Jennings, Kevin Porter Jr. and Devin Booker.

At 20 years and 314 days, the San Antonio center is the fourth-youngest player to drop 50, behind Booker, James and Jennings.

He is also the second player in Spurs history to score 50 in his first two seasons – George Gervin is the other, although the Ice Man played four seasons in the ABA before the NBA merger.

Four: Towns’ high-scoring game included all kinds of history.

First, it marked his fourth career game with 40 points, 10 rebounds and 5 3-pointers. That breaks the tie with DeMarcus Cousins ​​for most by a center in NBA history.

Towns is the first Knicks player with 45 points and 10 rebounds since Carmelo Anthony in 2014 — that feat came a month after Anthony had a career-high 62 points.

Three: Before Wednesday, there had been only three 45-point games this season, by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (45), Paolo Banchero (50) and Tyrese Maxey (45).

Wembanyama and Banchero – who turned 22 on Tuesday – are linked in league history.

This is the first season that a pair of players 21 or younger scored 50 points in a game. The only other season this happened was in 2005-06, and LeBron James accounted for both.

6-foot-11: Wednesday marked the first day in league history that three players 6-foot-11 or taller each scored 45 points.

Listed at 7-foot-4, Wembanyama is the tallest player in NBA history with a 50-point outing.

ESPN Research contributed to this story.