In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the star of the Bucks, achieved his ninth game scoring over 50 points.

Almost 1,200 miles away in San Antonio, Spurs’ rising star Victor Wembanyama reached 50 points for the first time in his career.

The Bucks, struggling this season, relied heavily on Antetokounmpo’s stellar performance of 59 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists to defeat the Detroit Pistons 127-120 in overtime on Wednesday. This impressive score is the highest recorded by any player in a single game this season.

Wembanyama scored 50 points in the Spurs’ victory over the Washington Wizards, which ended 139-130. This achievement was announced on the same day that the Spurs disclosed that legendary coach Gregg Popovich had a mild stroke on November 2 before a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

This marks only the 24th instance in NBA history where multiple players scored 50 points on the same day during the regular season — it has occurred nine times over the last ten seasons and twelve times since 2000-01, as per league statistics.

Here’s an in-depth look at the performances of Wembanyama and Antetokounmpo:

Victor Wembanyama’s 50-Point Game Against Wizards

At just 20 years and 314 days, Wembanyama became the fourth youngest player to score 50 points in an NBA game, following Brandon Jennings, LeBron James, and Devin Booker.

This milestone was achieved during his 83rd NBA game, showcasing his excellent shooting skills with 18-of-29 from the floor, including 8-of-16 from beyond the arc. His eight 3-pointers made, 18 field goals, and 29 attempts were all career highs.

Wembanyama also made history as the first player for the Spurs to score at least 50 points while sinking at least five 3-pointers in a single game. Additionally, he contributed six rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and one steal for the 6-6 Spurs team, outshining Washington’s Jordan Poole, who scored 42 points.

Before this game, Wembanyama’s highest score was 40 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 7 of last season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 59-Point Performance Against Pistons

With this performance, the Bucks secured back-to-back wins for the first time this season, raising their record to 4-8. Antetokounmpo played a crucial role with the second-highest scoring game of his career, netting 11 out of Milwaukee’s 16 points in overtime, shooting 5-for-5 — including one 3-pointer, two mid-range shots, and two close-range baskets.

His efficiency on offense was impressive: shooting 21-of-34 from the field and 16-of-17 from the free-throw line. This is remarkable for a player who had a career free-throw percentage of 69.9% and was struggling at 55.4% this season before this game.

The 21 field goals matched his career best. With three blocks and two steals, he became the first player in NBA history to record at least 50 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals since these stats were officially tracked starting in the 1973-74 season.

Detroit’s Cade Cunningham also had a notable game with 35 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, three blocks, and two steals.