LAS VEGAS At a neutral location in Las Vegas, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 on Tuesday to win the 2024 NBA Cup.
With a triple-double of 26 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks and won the MVP award. Damian Lillard scored 23 points and made five of ten three-pointers.
The Thunder’s only player to score more than 20 points in a defeat was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 21 points.
Milwaukee just had a one-point advantage at the break after an extremely close first half. However, the Bucks outscored Oklahoma City 26–14 in the second half, especially the third quarter. The Thunder’s third-quarter scoring of 14 points was their lowest of the season.
In the fourth quarter, the Bucks held off any possible comeback by leading by as many as 20 points.
Milwaukee’s outside shooting advantage was a major factor in their success. The Bucks scored 36 more three-pointers than Oklahoma City did.
Meanwhile, the Thunder’s offense stalled. Oklahoma City had the eighth-best offense in the NBA going into Tuesday’s match. However, the Thunder only shot 15.6% from beyond the arc and 33.7% from the field overall, which was a result of their poor three-point shooting.
The Bucks’ victory was retaliation for their loss in the inaugural NBA Cup, which took place last season. Milwaukee advanced to the Las Vegas semifinals in 2023, but the Indiana Pacers upset them. The Bucks had a perfect 7-0 Cup record this year.
Milwaukee’s championship run caps off an incredible early-season turnaround, even if the final does not count toward either team’s league standings. The Bucks have now won 13 of their last 16 games, including Tuesday’s game, after beginning the season 2-8. However, they still have a 14-11 record.
After Tuesday, Oklahoma City is still leading the Western Conference with a 20-5 record. But going forward, it will be interesting to watch the Thunder’s three-point shooting. Oklahoma City is only 19th in three-point percentage, which could put it at a disadvantage against other contenders in an NBA that is becoming more and more dependent on the long ball.
The players on the victorious Milwaukee squad will each get $514,971, while the Thunder players will get $205,988.
The Bucks will play the Cleveland Cavaliers, who lead the Eastern Conference, on Friday to start the regular season.
On the first night of a back-to-back, Oklahoma City will play again on Thursday against the Orlando Magic.
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