Giannis Antetokounmpo has 1-word message after stellar 59-point effort in Bucks win

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored an NBA season-high 59 points in leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 127-120 overtime win against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.

The two-time MVP scattered 11 points in the extra period to outscore Detroit by two. Following Tuesday’s 99-85 victory against the Toronto Raptors, the Bucks secured their first back-to-back wins of the season.

Antetokounmpo referenced Mike Tyson’s words after the win against the Pistons. He said that like the boxing legend, he's a “natural-born killer.”

On Thursday, he went on Instagram to add to his comments after dominating the Pistons yet again. The “Greek Freak” captioned his post:

“C O M P E T E. 👷🏾‍♂️”

Competing is a point Giannis Antetokounmpo has been digging in this season. In the Bucks’ 116-94 loss to the New York Knicks on Nov. 8, he had called out his team in the locker room. He blasted the Bucks for failing to compete. Milwaukee trailed by as many as 30 points before halftime against the Knicks.

Antetokounmpo warned his teammates that the same thing would happen to them if they didn’t show fight against the Boston Celtics. He and his teammates showed up, but the defending champs were still too much to handle. With a back-to-back set heading their way following a 113-107 loss to the Celtics, the Bucks showed some grit.

Giannis Antetokounmpo brought the resilience that epitomized the Milwaukee Bucks in their last two games. Against the Pistons, he battled through hard fouls, a flagrant against Isaiah Stewart and nagging knee soreness to carry the team to back-to-back wins.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks face the Charlotte Hornets next

After back-to-back wins against the Toronto Raptors and the Detroit Pistons, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks improved their record to 4-8.

The consecutive victories are morale-boosting, but the Bucks are still 12th out of 15 Eastern Conference teams. They have to keep working on their defense, which had trouble holding off Detroit, which played without Jaden Ivey.

Next on Milwaukee’s schedule is a road game against the dangerous Charlotte Hornets, who hold a 4-7 record. Charlotte is healthy, and LaMelo Ball is reminding everyone why he's an All-Star.

The electric point guard is averaging 29.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1. 4 steals per game. Ball’s support includes Brandon Miller, Tre Mann, Miles Bridges and Nick Richards, so the Bucks cannot overlook them.