Giannis poured Antetokounmpo in 43 points – including the first half of 30 points at career level – when the Milwaukee Bucks knocked out the Detroit Pistons 125-115 goalkeeper Monday.
He added nine rebounds and four assists, while Khris Middleton added 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Jrue Holiday had 15 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three leads and DJ Augustin added 11 points and six assists.
The teams will play again in Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Derrick Rose had 24 points and eight assists in leading Detroit. Jerami Grant also scored 24 points, while Svi Mykhailiuk, Sekou Doumbouya and Wayne Ellington added 13 apiece.
The Pistons played without starter Blake Griffin, who was relieved by the team playing their third game in four days. Point guard Killian Hayes left in the third quarter with a hip injury.
Milwaukee took a 67-56 half-time lead behind the most valuable two-time player.
Antetokounmpo scored 10 points in the first quarter when the Bucks established a 33-26 lead.
He dunk and assisted during the 7-0 Bucks spurt to start the second season.
The Pistons drew inside four, 46-42, backed by seven Mykhailiuk points in the next three minutes.
Milwaukee then went on a 15-4 run, taking 10 points from Antetokounmpo. He finished the run with the first 3-pointers of the game.
He reached the 30-point mark on a jersey with 2:34 left in the half.
Detroit cut Milwaukee’s lead to seven, 69-62, early in the second half on a midrange shot by Grant. The Bucks then went on an 11-2 run that started with Brook Lopez’s 3-point off Antetokounmpo pass. Middleton and Augustin dropped 3-points through that piece.
Antetokounmpo’s 3-point lead with just over four minutes left in the quarter-place gave the Bucks an 18-point lead at 86-68.
Milwaukee led 97-80 going into the fourth quarter.
The Pistons got the deficit under double numbers at 113-105 on Mykhailiuk’s 3-point mark with five minutes left. Milwaukee would not let them get any closer.
–Field Media Level