Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo Joins Wilt Chamberlain in Making Special NBA History

Nine-time All-Star Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo etched his name into the NBA history books on Thursday, while extending Milwaukee's win streak to six games in a 136-111 blowout of the New Orleans Pelicans.

We may be playing the backup pelicans, but we sure look smooth tonight 🔥🔥🔥#FearTheDeer #BucksInSix

pic.twitter.com/P4jBWAIdwd
— SleeperBucks (@SleeperBucksNBA) April 11, 2025

In a hair under 26 minutes of action, the 6-foot-11 big man scored 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field (64.7 percent) and 5-of-10 shooting from the free throw line, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out five dimes and a blocked a shot before being yanked from the game.

The Bucks were playing against a tanking Pelicans club that, at 21-60, was desperate to avoid an inadvertent win. So even without nine-time All-Star Milwaukee point guard Damian Lillard (right calf deep vein thrombosis) or rim-rolling new reserve center Jericho Sims (right thumb UCL sprain), the Bucks were heavily favored to take down New Orleans.

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All-Stars Zion Williams and Dejounte Murray, All-Defensive Team forward Herbert Jones, star point guard CJ McCollum, wing Trey Murphy, and backup point guard Jose Alvarado were all sitting for New Orleans.

Still, a win is a win, and the absences allowed Antetokounmpo and 37-year-old center Brook Lopez to depart the game and head for the showers late in the third period. They'd later be joined, before the end of regulation, by veterans Gary Trent Jr. and Kyle Kuzma.

It was a big night for Antetokounmpo, regardless of the paltry competition essentially preemptively folding.

Per Real Sports, the Pelicans win marked the two-time league MVP's 10th consecutive contest with 20 or more points on 60 percent field goal shooting. That tally tied Hall of Fame former Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, and Los Angeles Lakers center Wilt Chamberlain for the most such contests with that prolific scoring at that level of efficacy ever.

Giannis Antetokounmpo now has 10 straight games with 20+ PTS on 60%+ FG.

That ties Wilt for the longest streak EVER. pic.twitter.com/nPuJYz2e02
— Real Sports (@realapp_) April 11, 2025

Although that scoring efficiency was a bit more diluted in the second game of a Bucks back-to-back on Friday, Antetokounmpo nevertheless was the star of the show as Milwaukee beat the Detroit Pistons, 125-119, and locked up the Eastern Conference's No. 5 seed while sticking the Pistons with the sixth seed.

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He scored 32 points on "just" 11-of-22 shooting from the floor (50 percent) and 10-of-11 shooting from the foul line, 15 assists, and 11 rebounds, plus two blocks and a steal.

Across 67 games on the year, the five-time All-Defensive pro is averaging 30.4 points on 60.1 percent field goal shooting, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists a night.

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For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, visit Milwaukee Bucks on SI.